FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University field hockey team will begin its journey in the NCAA Championship on Wednesday when the Stags will play Wagner College in an opening round game. The game will be played on the campus of the University of Maryland. The winner of the Fairfield-Wagner contest will play the host school on Friday afternoon.
The Stags are playing in the NCAA tournament for the eighth time in school history, the third straight overall, and the second time in as many seasons under Head Coach
Laura Gebhart. Last season, Fairfield picked up its second win in tournament play with a 1-0 decision over Boston University before falling to host Princeton University by a 3-1 count.
Fairfield earned the right to play in the national tournament after capturing the CAA Championship with a 3-1 win over fourth-seeded Northeastern University in a semifinal match followed by a 2-1 win against second-seeded Monmouth University in the championship game.
Wagner secured its first NCAA Championship berth by capturing the NEC championship last weekend, opening with a 2-0 victory against Rider University and finishing with a 3-2 overtime decision against Sacred Heart University. The Seahawks entered the tournament as the top seed after going unbeaten in NEC play in 2026.
Four Fairfield student-athletes earned a spot on the CAA All-Tournament team, namely
Alice Pifferi,
Rylee LaLoup,
Camille Perlov and
Kylie Corcoran. Corcoran, who was named the most outstanding player in the tournament, posted a goal against Northeastern and an assist in the Monmouth game. Perlov was responsible for both goals in the 2-1 win over Monmouth while LaLoup scored a goal versus Northeastern. Pifferi anchored the Stags defense and started the team's penalty corner goals.
Corcoran leads the Fairfield offense with 12 goals and five assists for 29 points, while LaLoup ranks second among her teammates with 10 goals and two assists for 22 points. Perlov also added to her offensive numbers in the CAA tournament, checking into NCAA play with nine goals and one assist for 19 points. Goalkeeper
Georgia McDade, who tallied seven saves in the championship game, owns a 1.98 goals against average with a .702 save percentage based on her 45 stops.
Wagner has several scorers who have been impactful all season, beginning with leading scorer Floortje Leunisse. The senior brings an impressive total of 32 points into the week, tallying 13 goals and six assists. Julia de Leeuw is next in line with 24 points, registering seven goals and a team-best 10 assists. Goalkeeper Mia DiGenova has spent most of the minutes defending the line, possessing a 1.67 goals against average with a .667 save percentage off her 46 saves.
