COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Fairfield University field hockey team came up a goal short in the opening round of the 2026 NCAA Championship, falling to Wagner College by a 1-0 score at the University of Maryland's Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex.

While the final score favored the Seahawks, it was a game that was dominated by the Stags. Fairfield held advantages in every statistical category, starting with a 15-6 edge in shots. Many of those shots came off the team's nine penalty corners but Wagner goalkeeper Mia DiGenova posted a season-best nine saves to keep Fairfield off the scoreboard.

The first quarter was evenly played as both teams worked the ball around the pitch but had trouble gaining any distinct advantages. Both teams were able to put a shot on target but those that made it that far were easily handled by the keepers.

The second quarter mirrored the opening 15 minutes with both teams taking care of possession but not able to push the ball into the circle with any frequency. By the halftime, Fairfield took four shots and Wagner managed three attempts.

After halftime, Fairfield seemed in better control of the flow, holding better possession that allowed the Stags to turn up the pressure. And, that pressure produced results with three shots in the opening two minutes but only required the goalkeeper's attention. In the final four minutes of the period, Fairfield wrangled four more penalty corners and four more shots but again none were able to touch the back of the cage.

It wasn't until the fourth quarter that a team was able to crack a defense and it was Wagner accomplishing the task in the 51^st minute. The Seahawks earned a penalty corner and pushed the ball around the circle until Julia de Leeuw was able to put a shot past the keeper to give a one-goal advantage to Wagner.

Despite stepping the pressure, Fairfield was not able to gain any edge inside the circle over the final minutes. The Stags' best opportunity came in the final 90 seconds when they earned their ninth penalty corner.  At the end of the corner, Konni Hofmann found herself with an opening and quickly release a shot that was kicked away to seal the decision.

The Fairfield University field hockey advanced to the NCAA Championship after winning the CAA Championship in its first year of competition, giving the Stags their third straight bid to the national tournament. The team finishes the season with a 12-8 overall record which includes a 5-1 mark in CAA play which produced a regular-season title for the Stags.