Oct. 24, 2005
FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- With the regular season behind them, Head Coach Jackie Kane and her field hockey team will set their focus on the next step of their journey - winning the Northeast Conference tournament and advancing to the NCAA tournament. The quest continues this Friday, October 28 when the Stags take on top-seeded and host Rider University at 11 am.
Fairfield won its berth to the post-season tourney with a thrilling come-from-behind victory over St. Francis College on Sunday. After falling behind 2-0 in the first four minutes of the game, the Stags rallied for a 4-3 win on junior Nicole Mazzocchi's goal with under eight minutes remaining in regulation.
The victory pulled the Stags even in conference play with a 4-4 mark, which earned the squad a number four seed in the four-team tournament. Second-seeded Sacred Heart University (6-2 NEC record) will play Quinnipiac University (5-3 NEC) at 1:30 pm on Friday to complete the semi-final round. The two semi-final winners will play for the championship on Saturday, October 29 at noon.
"We are thrilled to make it to the NEC Tournament for the second consecutive year," Kane said. "Our team has worked hard to ensure our participation in this tournament. We are still focused on our goal of winning the NEC and returning to the NCAA's."
The Stags have achieved this level of success through an overall team effort, picking up solid play from all classes. Sophomore Briana Keene leads the team in scoring with 18 points, netting a team-high eight goals with two assists. Senior Kelly Rath places second among her teammates with 16 points. Her 48 career points ranks sixth all-time at Fairfield University.
Freshman Emily Janis has two game-winning goals to her credit, and six goals overall. Junior Allison Mays has also reached double digits with 10 points in 18 games.
The goaltending duties are handled by sophomores Lauren Callahan and Elizabeth Thomas. Callahan owns a 2.24 goals against average in 718 minutes of work, followed closely by Thomas' 2.29 goals against average in 580 minutes.
The Stags are 6-12 overall this season, with four of those wins coming away from home.
