It’s that time of year again. Fall sports are getting underway and it’s time for us to tell you all about your fall Fairfield Stags.
Men’s Soccer
The Stags are looking to return to dominance in the newly altered MAAC Conference. With the addition of Monmouth and Quinnipiac and the loss of Loyola, the Stags will hope to advance in the MAAC Tournament, which will be hosted on campus this year.
After four successful seniors graduated after the 2012 season, graduate student Nuno Rodrigues returns to the team for his final season.
Seniors Daniel Shaw, Jon Clements, Reco McLaren, Sean Fahy and Matt Danaher will lead the team throughout the season alongside Rodrigues.
There are several new faces joining the team for the 2013 season. Following the trend of years before, the freshman class has a strong foreign contingency. Goalkeeper Joe Martin ’17 and defender Ben Whitcomb ’17 hail from England. Defender Martin Lindgren ’17 has joined the Stags from Sweden and defender Joan Brachmann from Germany. The final member of the freshman class is goalkeeper Austin DaCunha, from Brookfield, CT.
Martin has earned the Stags their first MAAC award of the season as he was named MAAC Defensive Player of the Week. Martin made 3 saves in 110 minutes of play against Hartwick College.
The Stags have begun their season with an 0-1-1 record after tying Hartwick on Aug. 30 and falling to Northeaster 5-2 on Sept. 7.
The Stags have been predicted to finish 3rd in the MAAC according to a preseason poll. While MAAC competition doesn’t begin until October 5th against Monmouth, the Stags play their next game on Sept. 13 at Yale University.
Women’s Soccer
The Stags are going to have the opportunity to see what it’s like to have a target on their back from day one as they begin the season as the favorite to win the MAAC regular-season title. After winning the regular season in the 2012-2013 season, the preseason poll saw the Stags predicted to repeat as champions.
Four Stags were also named to the Preseason All-MAAC team. Fifth-year senior Nikki Stanton, Carly Beyar ’14, Megan O’Brien ’15 and Kathleen Early ’15 represent the team on the list.
Thus far in the season, the Stags have fallen 1-3 after tough losses at Army, Wagner, and Stony Brook. The Stags have gotten back on track with a 2-1 win against Hartford.
So far, Ashley Small ’15 currently leads the scoring for the Stags with two goals, coming against Hartford and Wagner. O’Brien has the only other goal for the Stags to date, with her goal coming in to win at Hartford.
The Stags added 11 freshmen to their team ahead of the 2013-2014 season. The roster is now comprised of 29 players, including four seniors and one graduate student to lead the team.
Fairfield will host the Fairfield Women’s Soccer Invitations from Sept. 13 to the 15. The Stags will play American and Holy Cross in the invitational.
MAAC play will begin for the Stags on Sept. 25 when they travel to Saint Peter’s.
Men’s Cross Country
Men’s cross country has started the 2013-2014 season on a strong note. The Stags tied for first at the Fr. W. Laurence O’Neil, S.J. Invitational on Aug. 31.
At the Invitational, Fairfield tied with Central Connecticut, while beating Hofstra and Stevens Institute.
The freshmen impressed from the start as Noah Parsley ’17 and Mike Flanagan ’17 were the top two finishers for the Stags. Parsley finished third overall and Flanagan finished in fifth.
The Stags ran well again as they raced to fourth at Fordham Fiasco on Sept. 7. The upperclassmen took the lead in the race with Howie Rosas ’14, Connor Kelley ’15 and Brian Cleary ’14 the top four finishers for the Stags.
Cleary, John Lobo ’14 and Rosas lead the Stags as the senior class, while the team has welcomed three freshmen: Sam Dalyk Flanagan, and Parsley.
The Stags will race in the Fr. Victor F. Leeber, S.J. Invitational on campus on Sept. 21. The Stags have won the meet three consecutive times and will hope to make it four this season.
Women’s Cross Country
Like their male counter parts, women’s cross-country started their season with a bang. The Stags won the sixth annual Fr. W. Laurence O’Neil Invitational with 41 points.
Also like the men’s side, two freshmen finished in the top two spots for the Stags. Freshmen Stef Vickers finished second overall in the 4K, followed by Hayley Roberts ’17 who finished seventh overall.
At the Fordham Fiasco, Cate Forte ’15 finished first for the Stags and ninth overall in the 5K and was followed by Jacqueline-Ann Willsey ’17, Danielle Renzi ’15 and Maureen Crimmins ’15, respectively.
The Stags are led by a strong group of seniors: Juli Bassett, Danica Ceballos, Casey Gerety, Molly Leidig, and Hillary Maxson. The team has also brought in six freshmen: Sarah Morrissette, Roberts, Gabriella Vezza, Vickers, Willsey and Julia Wood.
The Stags finished in a solid fifth place in the meet, ahead of Hartford, Fairleigh Dickinson and Saint Peter’s.
They will be looking to take home first at the Fr. Victor F. Leeber, S.J. Invitational on Sept. 22.
Volleyball
The Stags are coming off of a wildly successful 2012-2013 season that saw the volleyball team win the regular season, MAAC Tournament, and make it to the NCAA Tournament. The team will be looking to build off the success and make it even further in the Tournament.
Although the Stags lost powerhouses Kara Reis and Brianna Dixion, they will look to seniors Rachel Romansky, Carsen Mata and Hayley Moyer to lead the team to success. With the addition of three freshmen, the team will be looking to the upper classmen for support.
Seven games into the season and the Stags are currently holding on to a 2-5 record. Their victories have come against Hampton and Bryant at the Boston College Invitational.
Field Hockey
Field hockey is looking to build on a successful 2012-2013 season that saw the Stags make it to the America East Tournament for the first time since joining the conference in 2007.
The Stags are on track as of now, with a 3-1 record. They have defeated Lehigh, Hofstra and St. Joesph’s to date. Their only defeat came at the hands of Princeton, who are ranked third in the nation, in a painfully close 4-3 defeat.
There is a strong contingency of seniors on the team, Nikki McLucas, Shealyn Testa, Christy Starsinic and Hillary Fitts.
Junior Felicitas Heinen is leads the team with four goals, followed by Julie de Paeuw ’17 with three.
The Stags have the makings to repeat their successes from last season. They open their America East play at Vermont on Oct. 5. Their next game is against fourth ranked UConn on Sept. 13.
Rowing
One of the most consistently successful teams takes to the water again in three fall races apiece. Both men’s and women’s rowing will race in the Head of the Housatonic on Oct. 12. They will also race in the Head of the Charles Oct. 19. Fall Metropolitan Regatta rounds out the fall season on Nov. 2.
On the women’s side, two sisters who are a part of the class of 2017 secured gold medals for the intermediate lightweight pair at the U.S. Rowing Club National Championship. Melissa and Ashley Iannucci ’17 finished the race with a time of 9:27 and defeated competition from across the country. The sisters are part of a 22-rower freshman class that encompasses both the men and women teams.
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