Fairfield University Athletics

2021: Hugo Espuela Hurtado continued to make his mark as a defender when the opportunity presented itself. He started his first eight appearances before coming off the bench for his final three times on the pitch. Hurtado’s play in the defensive third provided support to the team’s effort which led to four shutouts and eight matches of allowing less than two goals. He secured one assist during the season, setting up a goal Monmouth University in early October.

2020-21: Espuela-Hurtado was a key contributor to the Stags defensive success in 2020-21, serving as a starting back for all eight games. He was part of a unit that secured four shutouts and allowed less than one goal per game (0.95 goals against average). He was also a contributor up front, scoring a goal in the MAAC Championship quarterfinal win over Saint Peter’s. The defender took five shots during the season including a season-high two in that Saint Peter’s contest.

2019: Hurtado was a regular in the 2019 lineup as he made his debut in a Fairfield uniform. The junior secured minutes in 14 games with 12 of those coming in the starting lineup. He was part of a defense that led the MAAC with a 1.22 goals allowed average. The unit allowed just 22 goals in their 17 outings which was also a conference best total. Hurtado was an integral part of that success, including being on the pitch for five of the team’s six shutouts. He contributed in the box as well, taking six shots with three of those attempts being on goal (.500 on-goal percentage).