On Sunday, November 10th the first seeded Fairfield Stags women’s soccer team hosted Quinnipiac University for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship game. The first half didn’t see any scores as the teams went to their respective locker rooms tied at zero.
The tie was broken in the 73rd minute with Maddy Theriault ‘26 netting her team-leading 13th goal of the year. The goal came off a Meghan Carragher ‘26 free kick that deflected off Quinnipiac goalie Sofia Lospinoso and found Theriault for the header to score the eventual game-winner for the Stags.
The remainder of the game saw the Stags playing stout defense to keep Quinnipiac from scoring the equalizer.
Despite the tight game on the scoreboard, the Stags dominated the stat sheet outshooting Quinnipiac 19-4 with seven shots on goal to the Bobcats two. The Stags also had six corners and nine fouls to the Bobcats three corners and 10 fouls.
When asked how it felt to win the MAAC championship in his seventh season with the Stags,Head Coach David Barrett said, “winning is difficult in any sport and especially in soccer. We are very proud of our accomplishment. I feel that we have been the best team in the league all season long, so I think bringing home the championship is a fitting ending to our journey.”
He continued to say that the most important aspect of the team was their combination of talent and their ability to have everyone on the team buy into the culture.
Barrett has been building this program since he got to Fairfield with five MAAC Championship Tournament appearances. This year marked his first postseason win after also claiming the regular season championship in 2022. The MAAC Championship was the Stags’ ninth in program history and the first since 2008. He has been coaching for 24 seasons in college with over 300 career wins.
When asked about how he has built the program he said, “It’s a process. We work really hard in recruiting to build a team that can compete each year and hopefully, we can sustain this each season.”
Likely one of the largest reasons for the Stags’ spectacular season was Theriault. She has had 13 goals and six assists totalling 32 points and raising her career point total to 79. Additionally, Theriault seemingly has the clutch gene with seven of her goals being game-winners.
Talking about Theriault, Barrett said, “Maddy is a special player. She has matured and grown as a player and as a person. I am glad we have her for one more season!”
The Stags will be back in action for their first round matchup in the NCAA Tournament against the Georgetown Hoyas. Kickoff is set for 12 P.M. this Saturday, Nov. 16.
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