Fairfield field hockey has hit its stride, rattling off five straight Northeast Conference (NEC) wins to set itself up for this week’s road trip to nonconference opponents Hofstra and Vermont.
After going 2-4 with several close losses in the first six games of their schedule, the Stags flipped the script with their 3-2 overtime victory over Wagner in the conference opener. Since that game, they have outscored their opponents 25-1 across the last four contests.
“Consistency has been key for us, both with the intensity of practice and maintaining a good team culture,” said senior forward Konni Hoffman. “We are never satisfied and always strive to be better. We put our focus on connecting with each other on and off the field and always have fun while playing. I think that’s what has brought us success in conference play.”
The Stags will hope that momentum carries over this week, first in the matchup with Hofstra on Friday afternoon. The two teams come into the matchup under very different circumstances, as the Pride have lost four consecutive games, including a 3-2 heartbreaker to Columbia in their most recent outing.
Still, the Pride have a 5-6 overall record, including wins over Villanova and Sacred Heart, two teams the Stags have also played this season, as well as Rider, who still remains on the Fairfield schedule and currently sits in third place in the NEC standings.
“These [road games] are going to be very different from the past weekend,” Hoffman said. “We play each other hard in practice and when we get on the road, preparation is key, meaning doing what’s best for you and doing the recovery in-between practices and gamedays.”
The Stags will need to recover quickly for their matchup with Vermont on Sunday afternoon. The Catamounts have navigated a difficult nonconference schedule to enter this week with a 6-5 record. Their list of wins also includes a number of shared opponents with Fairfield, such as a 3-1 win over Wagner and an 8-0 drubbing of Merrimack.
“We are very excited to play these games as they are going to be two pretty tough opponents,” said senior forward Alex Senior. “It will help us prepare for more conference play. The main things we want to focus on are playing our game and to keep building on our game.”
Playing their game helped guide the Stags to a historic win in their most recent outing over New Haven. The 11-0 win on Sunday set a new program record in single game scoring, as seven different players got in the goal column for Fairfield.
Those seven included Hoffman, who finished the match with a career-best three goals after putting away two in the first 10 minutes.
“I wouldn’t have been able to score without my team, they set me up for success and we had a great team performance that day,” Hoffman said. “We have 26 people on the team and that number is very important for us as every single person has their role and is needed in order to succeed.”
The performance was equally as dominant on the defensive side of the field, as New Haven did not register a single shot throughout the contest. Graduate student Payton Rahn and sophomore Paige Jackson split time at goalkeeper to combine for the shutout.
“We went into [the New Haven] game wanting to play a great all around game of hockey and it was an awesome feeling to accomplish that,” Senior said. “It was great seeing so many people get goals.”
After their contests this weekend, the Stags will return to conference play with a matchup at Mercyhurst on Friday, Oct. 17. Then, they will come back home to University Field to take on Rider on Sunday, Oct. 19.