FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The home pitch advantage is something that the Fairfield University field hockey team will experience at the start of its 2026 season.

The Stags will play six of their first seven matches at University Field, beginning with the season opener against #9 Syracuse University on Friday, August 28. The opening weekend will conclude with a match up against the College of the Holy Cross on Sunday, August 30.

Head Coach Laura Gebhart will draw on the experience of the 20-returning student-athletes who helped the Stags collect a conference championship and a berth to the 2025 NCAA Championship. Fairfield captured the NEC crown a year ago, but now looks to transition to its first season in the CAA.

At the heart of that experience stands three fifth-year student-athletes who return to build upon the legacy that they have already built. Konni Hofmann, Rylee LaLoup, and Alice Pifferi helped the program win back-to-back NEC titles over the last two campaigns. The trio accounted for 23 goals and 18 assists last season, comprising three of the top seven scorers.

Hofmann paced the offense with team highs in goals scored with 12 and total points with 29. LaLoup was one of four Fairfield student-athletes with 20 or more points, posting 21 points off nine goals and three assists. Pifferi became the first Stag in school history to register a double-digit assist total, registering 10 in 2024 and 2025.

Kaelyn Fogelson earned the NEC Rookie of the Year in 2025 based on her 19 points accumulated over 22 appearances. The forward was responsible for eight goals and three assists in 2025 which placed fifth among her teammates. Catalina Ness also impressed the conference coaches enough to capture the NEC Midfielder of the Year after netting a goal and six assists for eight points. Both will be instrumental in the team's success inside the circle, looking to make an even larger impact this year.

Courtland Schumacher, who joins Ness and Pifferi as the team's tri-captains this season, provides another option on the opponent's side of the pitch. The forward/midfielder comes off a nine-point season with two goals and five assists, all three of which are personal bests for the senior.

Seniors Noor Hellemans and Catherine Fitzgerald also will be back to provide their talents to the cause. Hellemans, who earned preseason All-CAA honors with Ness and Hofmann, placed second on the team with seven assists to comprise most of her 11 points. Fitzgerald chipped with two goals of her own during her 20 appearances which included the game winner against Rider.

The goalkeeping duties will rest with junior Paige Jackson and sophomore Georgia McDade. Jackson gained experience last season with three appearances, each of which completed a combined shutout. McDade gained valuable experience during her first year with the program and looks to turn that experience into minutes for the upcoming campaign.

Fairfield's date with Syracuse is not the team's only match up with a national-ranked team this year. Three other teams on the schedule earned a spot in the NFHCA Preseason Coaches' Poll, including #11 UConn (October 30), #16 Yale University (September 11), and #18 Monmouth University (October 23).

After winning 17 of 20 home games over the last two seasons, the Stags will look to keep that home pitch edge during its nine home matches this year. And with six of those matches coming in the first three weeks of the campaign, Fairfield looks to make its mark right from the start.