Women’s Soccer has hit the ground running this season, breaking records and making history with multiple standout performances on the field as they improved their record to 6-1 with their recent win over Iona University.
With wins against Holy Cross, Boston, Vermont, Harvard, Fairleigh Dickinson and Iona, scoring 17 goals across those games and on a current five-game winning streak, it is clear that the team is continuing to trend in the right direction.
The Stags are currently on a 19-game win streak at home, the longest active streak of any Division I team across the country.
Attention must also be turned to Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) preseason Player of the Year Maddy Theriault ‘26, who has been a fundamental part of the team’s success. Scoring a hat-trick in the home opener at Lessing Field against Vermont, Theriault rightly earned herself national recognition, being named Top Drawer Soccer’s Player of the Week during the week of Aug. 25.
The 2-1 win against Harvard on Aug. 29, with goals from Theriault and Alex Darcy ‘26, marked Fairfield’s first-ever victory over the Crimson after 10 previous contests (two draws, eight losses). Darcy headed home the winner for her first goal of the season. Head Coach David Barrett celebrated the team’s success, saying he was “really happy with the overall performance up and down the field.”
This honor adds to Theriault’s impressive record, where she has recorded 36 goals throughout her career – the most by any Fairfield Stag in 25 years, per fairfieldstags.com. The senior says she is “feeling great about the season so far – both personally and as a team,” highlighting that the Stags are “building great chemistry and improving every game”.
Another MAAC honor was awarded to first-year Kelly O’Connor, who was named Rookie of the Week after her standout showing in Fairfield’s dominant 5-0 win against FDU. This recognition was given after her career-high three assists helped confirm the Stags’ victory.
The team showed variation and depth within their attacking line, seeing five different Stags get the ball in the back of the net, with Riley Roycroft ‘29 and Kayliegh Lukasik ‘28 getting their first goals of the season. This win continued to build on the incredible run that the Stags have had on Lessing Field, where fans have been treated to high-quality games so far this season.
After a two-week break, the Stags were back in action this past Saturday as they took on Iona, where they added another victory with a 3-0 win.
This game kicked off their MAAC conference campaign, with Theriault adding that the team was “ready to make a statement and start conference play strong.”
With two goals from sophomore Ashley McMahon and a late strike by senior Sam Kersey, the Stags seized control and held the Gaels scoreless for the full 90 minutes. Goalkeeper Katie Wright ’26 was called into action only once, ultimately securing her twentieth shutout of her career. Ashlyn Walsh ‘28 also played a key role, providing two assists to bring her season tally to four – the joint leading number on the team with O’Connor.
Fairfield returns to Lessing Field this Saturday at 1 p.m. to face Sacred Heart University in another conference matchup. The Stags will look to build momentum and extend their win streak in this Fairfield town derby.