FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University field hockey team posted its second shutout of the weekend with a 6-0 decision over Lehigh University on Senior Day this afternoon.
The Stags' offense clicked from the onset and continued throughout the game. Fairfield finished the match with 37 shots and 15 penalty corners on its way to one of its best offensive showings of the season. The team was efficient with its 20 shots on goal which forced the Lehigh goalkeeper to make 14 saves in the contest.
Camille Perlov opened the scoring for Fairfield with a goal in the sixth minute of play, converting a pass form
Kaelyn Fogelson, the first of her five points on the afternoon. Just two minutes later, Fairfield was able to double its advantage when
Alyse Wanchisen sent a pass onto the stick of Alicia Pifferi, who redirected the ball into the corner of the goal for a 2-0 lead after eight minutes of work.
After posting nine shots in the opening quarter, the Stags continued to hold possession which led to ample opportunities inside the circle. With less than four minutes remaining, Fogelson was able to convert a pass from
Noor Hellemans into the first of her two goals on the afternoon.
Fairfield built on its 3-0 halftime lead with two more goals in the third quarter, the first coming off an unassisted goal by
Catalina Ness. The junior pushed her shot beyond the goalkeeper's reach in the 35
th minute of work. Hellemans went to work once again with more precision passing, sending the ball to Fogelson in the 44
th minute, setting up the sophomore for her second goal of the night.
The Stags were not finished inside the circle though and worked one more scoring chance onto the ledger. For the third time, Hellemans was able to use her stick to set up the team's sixth goal, a quick strike from Ness for her second goal of the afternoon.
Goalkeeper
Paige Jackson secured her second clean sheet of the weekend by making one save off the two shots she faced during the afternoon. Lehigh goalkeeper Katie Burgess secured 12 saves in addition to a pair of defensive saves from the back line.
The day also paired a couple of celebrations with the 2001 Patriot League Championship team being honored at halftime while the senior class was honored for their contributions over the last four years. It was only fitting that the seniors
Catherine Fitzgerald,
Noor Hellemans,
Catalina Ness, and
Courtland Schumacher were in the mix throughout the game as they have been throughout their careers.
"We had such a strong performance from our seniors," Head Coach
Laura Gebhart said. "Catalina is such a steading force for us and came out with two goals today. Catherine was just electric today. She brings so much energy to the game. Noor showed a lot of confidence and generated attack from the backfield. Courtland was huge in the possession game and found opportunities to overlap on our right side."
The Fairfield University field hockey team will travel for a pair of games next weekend, heading to William & Mary on Friday, October 9 for its next CAA match. The weekend will conclude with a match up against VCU on Sunday, October 11. The Stags will play five of their final six games on the road with the lone home game coming on October 16 against Northeastern.
