Peter Caty/the Mirror
Fairfield Field Hockey is the real deal. It has become quite obvious over the past month and a half that the team is nothing like any current Fairfield student has read about in The Mirror’s sports section, or seen in person.
Gone are the days of three, four and five win-seasons, or cross-town rival Sacred Heart standing a chance. Shea Testa ’14 commented in regards to the season’s progress, “With an 8-8 record, [we’re] one step closer to making sure that we will have a winning record with only three games left, which would be such an achievement for the program.”
Much of the team’s success can be attributed to the team unity, to which Testa remarked, “The way the team has come together, it is something that would help prove to everyone that all that hard work is paying off.”
With the team entering its fourth year in the America East Conference, the unit is well accustomed to the higher level of play than in the past, and the results are showing.
The Stags have put themselves in prime position to achieve at least a .500 record, and have already ensured the most victories for the program since 2001.
This past week the Stags battled back from a 2-0 deficit to force overtime with the California-Berkeley Golden Bears. They proved once again their prowess at home and worked on their ability to come back, no matter how late in the game.
Ultimately, the game was suspended due to darkness at a 2-2 tie, and Cal was given the victory on penalty shots. Leading goal scorer, Marit Westenberg, commented in reference to the Cal game, “Last Friday, we proved that our team can get back from a deficit… We were determined to win and we didn’t give up. This has been a very strong character of the team this year.”
No one will know what would have happened if the game was able to conclude, but it was certain the Stags had the momentum at the conclusion, scoring both their goals late in the game.
One challenge Fairfield has faced this year is the challenging America East Conference schedule with four teams in the nation’s top 25.
Off to an 0-3 start, Coach Jackie Kane’s team has work to do to overcome the rough start in conference play. Most recently, the Stags lost to the University of Maine, 6-2.
Both Testa and defensive leader Anne Nieuwenhuis felt that the Stags were “very evenly matched,” but Testa admitted “the team was very disappointed because that would have helped to bring [them] one step closer to the [conference] tourney.”
Last weekend’s lost makes this Friday’s match up with the University of New Hampshire that much more important.
Nieuwenhuis noted that the Stags “have been playing very well at home this year” to the tune of 5-2, including the unorthodox loss to Cal-Berkeley on penalty shots.
The only other loss was to nationally ranked #18, University of Albany. “These last three games we have are all home games, and it is our chance to have a winning season [and a possible conference tournament berth], which would be amazing” was how Nieuwenhuis described the significance of this Friday’s game.
The America East Conference tournament includes four of the six teams in conference, and Coach Kane’s senior class has made it their goal since joining the AEC as freshmen to make it to the conference tournament.
As Nieuwenhuis put it so concisely, “Our main goal this year is to make it to the tournament, and we have been working very hard all season to make it.” Their fate is still in the balance, and much of it lies in their own hands.
With victories over New Hampshire and the University of Vermont, the Stags would most likely qualify. This Friday should prove to be the most important game of the season.
The weather forecast for Friday at 4 p.m. is 57 degrees, but sunny. So throw on an extra hoodie and sweats, grab a hot chocolate to go from Barone, and come out to support one of Fairfield’s fastest rising programs so you can say you were there when the party got started. The bandwagon’s filling up quick.
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