Seniors Caitlin Quinn and Courtney O’Connor played their last games on home turf this weekend, a memorable 3-0 win against St. Francis on Friday, Oct. 20, and a forgettable 6-0 loss to Lock Haven on Sunday, Oct. 22. The seniors were celebrated after Sunday’s contest by fans, family and teammates.
A three game winning streak came to a crashing halt as the Stags lost 6-0 to top ranked Lock Haven, who improved to 5-1 in league play. With the defeat, Fairfield’s hopes of a playoff berth have been put to rest.
“[Quinn and O’Connor] will be missed,” said Coach Jackie Kane. “These two seniors have been awesome. They’re amazing. They played all four years and never gave up even when some other players left the team.”
It was not until the second half of Fairfield’s game against St. Francis, when the Stags offense came to life. The team was coming off two Northeast Conference wins against Quinnipiac and Sacred Heart, with three conference games left on the schedule. Quinn, junior Chelsea Hicks and sophomore Molly Byrnes all scored to push the Stags to their third consecutive win.
Lock Haven showed why they sit atop the NEC with the devastating 6-0 victory, on Sunday. The Stags’ emotion couldn’t carry them to four straight wins.
“The score of the game certainly didn’t reflect the attitude,” said O’Connor. “They are a great team who just came off a tough loss and they were ready to play. We made the adjustments we had to, but it wasn’t enough to beat them. They have some great players who worked well together.”
The seniors and their teammates reflected on the loss before embracing the fans that stayed after the final whistle was blown.
“I have had so many great times with this team,” said Quinn. “Last weekend’s (Oct. 13-15) two overtime wins will always come to mind when I think of Fairfield field hockey. I hope these girls keep playing hard even though it’s not always easy to stick with it. I know they will do great.”
Underclassman expressed their love for the two seniors.
“I just want to thank them for their hard work and dedication to the team for four long years,” said Hicks after Sunday’s loss. “They are truly an inspiration on and off the field. They will be missed.”
Other teammates agreed.
“Caitlin and Courtney had such a great work ethic and are so dedicated to field hockey,” said junior Lauren Keith. “They were great leaders and it will be hard for us to fill their shoes next year.”
Fairfield ends the season with a trip to Pennsylvania to play Robert Morris on Oct. 29. Robert Morris has a 1-5 record in the NEC.
“Hopefully we can end on a win,” said O’Connor. “I think we are prepared for the game. Then end of the season should show what we’ve learned all year, and what we can apply to the field. It should be a great showcase of Fairfield field hockey.”
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