On a team carried heavily by nine seniors, starting as a freshman can be extremely difficult. But starting on the team as a freshman seemed to be a simple obstacle to overcome for Faith Daley.

Daley is one of eight Stags recently recruited for the women’s soccer team, but she is the only one to have started in all six games so far this season.

Daley grew up playing soccer since she was three years old. She received four varsity letters while playing in high school at St. John the Baptist while also receiving the honor of All-League both junior and senior year. Her high school experience on the team was one of the main reasons she has become such a beneficial teammate this season for the Stags.

Not only has being on the team helped the Stags, but it has helped Daley adjust as well.

“It definitely helped me adjust because I knew a lot of people and my teammates are really nice,” said Daley. “They let us know what classes to take, what to do and what not to do so it’s been really helpful.”

Although she’s started all six games with the team so far, Daley still hasn’t gotten used to the feeling of stepping on Lessing Field as a Division 1 athlete.

“It’s nerve-racking,” said  Daley. “It’s a lot of hard work and it’s a matter of doing everything I can on the field and, without my coaches or teammates, I wouldn’t be able to do that.”

With nine seniors and then 22 returning juniors and sophomores, Daley added that making the adjustment to play with a new team was challenging at first. But now that the team has played six games together and spent nearly every hour together whether in practice or bonding, she looks to her teammates for inspirations to improve herself.

“Everyone on the team is an inspiration,” said Daley. “If I see someone out there do something awesome and I see them working hard, that just pushes me to work even harder.”

As number 22 for the Stags, Daley will continue to be one of the anchors of Fairfield’s defensive line. She has already made an impressive mark on the team even before Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play has begun. The expectations placed upon her are high.

“Faith Daley has been the freshman to stand out so far,” said Head Coach Jim O’Brien.

As Daley begins to make Fairfield her home, she will use her team to better her career on the team that has already surpassed expectations so far.

“Fairfield is a perfect fit for me,” said Daley. “Being on the team is like having another family and I always have them to back me up.”

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