Women’s soccer extended both their overall and conference win streaks with a 4-1 victory over Sacred Heart University (SHU) last Saturday, improving their record to 7-1 overall and 2-0 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).
This win also stretched the Stags’ streak of wins at home to twenty games, the longest active run in Division I women’s soccer.
Before the contest, sophomore Kayleigh Lukasik offered some insight into the team’s mentality as they prepared for their conference rival matchup.
“Our games against Sacred Heart are always extremely competitive…the Stags are greedy and eager for a win,” Lukasik said. “Nothing beats the energy for the week leading up to such a big rivalry game, and we all have a positive attitude toward our game this Saturday.”
The Stags’ hunger to win was clear – four different players (Ashley McMahon ‘28, Brooke Walonis ‘27, Alex Darcy ‘26 and Meghan Carragher ‘26) all got on the score sheet. Ashlyn Walsh ‘28 added three more assists to her tally, moving into the team lead with seven on the season.
Head Coach David Barrett praised the team for their performance, saying that Fairfield will face similar challenges as they get deeper into conference play, but was pleased to see the Stags “keep [their] foot on the pedal and move forward.”
The Stags shift their focus now to their next conference game away at Quinnipiac this afternoon (Wednesday, Sept. 24) at 2.30 p.m.
The Bobcats are currently 2-3-2, 2-0-1, and are coming into the matchup against the Stags off a 5-1 win against Mount St Mary’s. Their victory marked their second conference win of the season.
Since 2013, the Bobcats hold a 10-4-2 record against the Stags. However, their last contest saw Fairfield take the win 1-0, thanks to a 73rd minute goal from Maddy Theriault ‘26.
With both teams remaining undefeated, this game has early implications for standings and could prove important for seeding later in the season.
For Quinnipiac, a win would not only extend their unbeaten start in MAAC play but also reinforce their strong record against Fairfield over the past decade. Meanwhile, the Stags will look to counter that history by staying true to their approach. As Lukasik noted before the SHU game, they are “focusing on controlling the controllables”.
Bobcat seniors Morgan Cupo and Milena Branco lead the team with six points each so far this season, recording three goals apiece. Two of Branco’s goals came from the game against their most recent matchup with Mount St. Mary’s, and she will undoubtedly be looking to carry that same scoring form into today’s game against the Stags.
Statistically, the Bobcats average 12.1 shots per game, while Fairfield has created nearly six more chances at 17.6 per contest, according to fairfieldstags.com. Fairfield’s senior goalkeeper Katie Wright has been central to the Stags’ defensive strength, posting a 0.77 save percentage (the highest mark in the MAAC) and a 21-6 save/goal-against ratio so far this year.
With Fairfield carrying strong momentum into conference play, today’s matchup against Quinnipiac will serve as another measure of where the Stags stand in their MAAC title defense, with both teams looking to maintain their unbeaten conference record this season.
