FAIRFIELD, Conn. –
Catalina Ness,
Alice Pifferi, and
Courtland Schumacher will serve as team captains for the Fairfield University field hockey team during the 2026 season. The announcement was made by Head Coach
Laura Gebhart on Friday afternoon.
"The team has chosen Catalina, Alice, and Courtland to represent them both on and off the field," Coach Gebhart said. "All three embody our team standards to the highest level and lead with a genuine care for the team and their teammates. I'm excited to watch them continue to lead, uplift, and empower throughout the season."
Ness comes off a stellar season that culminated with her being named the NEC Midfielder of the Year for her performance in 2025. She ended the campaign with a goal and six assists for eight points, highlighted by her three-point performance against Rider. She tallied an assist in six different matches and finished the season with a goal and two assists over her final three regular season matches.
Pifferi became the first Fairfield field hockey student-athlete to register a double-digit assist total in back-to-back seasons. The graduate student posted 10 assists in 2024 and followed up setting up 10 goals last season. She posted an assist in seven different contests in 2025 including a three-assist effort against Hofstra. Her 20 assists rank seventh all-time at Fairfield. She also added two goals in 2025, the last of which was the game winner against Wagner in the regular-season finale.
Schumacher comes off her best offensive season as a Stag in 2025, registering two goals and five assists for nine points. She secured a point in five games a year ago with her three-point effort against Saint Francis serving as her best output of the season. Splitting time as a forward and a midfielder, Schumacher placed eight of her 11 shots on target for a 73 percent accuracy rating.
The Fairfield University field hockey team begins its second season under Coach Gebhart, who led the Stags to an NEC Championship and NCAA tournament berth in 2025. The Stags will open the 2026 season by hosting Syracuse University on Friday, August 28 followed by another home game with the College of the Holy Cross on Sunday, August 30.
