The Fairfield University women's soccer team begins its second season on Friday, Nov. 9 in the semifinal of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.  The second-seeded Stags will take on number-three Loyola in the first game, at 4 p.m.

The Stags enter the weekend with an 11-6-3 overall record and with a 6-1-2 mark in conference action.  The top-seed is host Marist College, who will face number-four, Niagara University at 7 p.m.  The semifinal winners will play for a berth to the NCAA Tournament on Sunday at noon, in a game that will be televised live on ESPNU.

This marks the Stags 15 appearnce in the 16-year history of the event.  Fairfield has won six tournament titles (1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2005) and have appeared in eight championship games, both totals are second most in league history.

Newcomer Nicole Cavallaro is the top offensive player in the league through the regular season, totalling 30 points.  She set a school-single season record with 16 assists, a total that is the most of any player in Division I, through Sunday.  She has also netted seven goals, two of which have turned out to be game-winners.

Casey Frobey continues to be one of the most exciting offensive players in the program and league, finishing the year third in the conference with 16 points.  She is the top goal scorer in the MAAC, entering the tournament, with 11 goals, including four game-winners. 

The Stags senior class will be looking to go out on a high note, and have taken their leadership roles to heart this season.  Janna Breitenwischer scored two goals on Senior Day and now has five for the year, which combined with seven assists, gives her 17 points, third on the team.  She has started all 77 games that she has played in her career, and will set a school-record in that category with her next start.

Brett Maron will graduate as one of the top goal keepers in school and league history.  This season she has made a personal best 103 saves and enters the tournament with a goals against average of 0.97.  She has seven shutouts this season and 24 for her career, 0.5 shy of the school record in that category.

Alex Caram is finishing her third season with the Stags, but has her name in the record books as well.  She enters the tournament ranked ninth in program histoyr with 15 assists, 10th with 49 points and 12th with 17 goals.  She was the MVP of the 2005 MAAC Tournament, leading the Stags to their fourth NCAA Tournament berth.

MT Church has appeared in 72 games over the course of her four-years with the Stags.  A First Team All-MAAC defender a season ago, she has been an important cog in that unit for her entire career.  She is also 5-6 on penalty kicks over the course of her career, including the game-winner over Loyola in the 2005 MAAC Tournament.

Amanda Vargo has enjoyed a succesful four-year career with the Stags as well.  She has appeared in 73 games in that stretch, making 40 starts.  This season she has netted a goal and has one assist.

Entering the tournament, the Stags are riding a six-game unbeaten streak, going 4-0-2 in that stretch.   Fairfield is 9-2-2 in its last 13 games.

Fans can catch livestats of all games of the tournament by visiting the MAAC website.