Youth and inexperience has been the biggest pitfall for the women’s soccer team, who has struggled through growing pains thus far this season.
Head coach Maria Piechocki says once the team gets better acclimated with each other, better results will follow.
“Our inexperience has been the biggest problem. The upperclassmen need to play better defense and score some goals,” Piechocki said. “The freshmen have been playing pretty well. They are still getting used to playing with each other. It’s a new experience for them playing at the college level against older players.”
Fairfield’s record has fallen to 1-4 with four-straight losses following the team’s 3-2 overtime win over Wagner in the Stags’ season-opener.
“We’ve been punished this season for our mistakes and mental lapses. Whereas we haven’t punished other teams for their mistakes,” Piechocki said. “We’ve just lacked the experience to put games away.”
The Stags have struggled mightily on offense this year, registering just six goals in the team’s first five games. Last weekend, Fairfield’s offensive woes continued when the Stags netted just two goals in two games of the ECAC Women’s Soccer Classic in Cape Cod, MA.
On Friday, Fairfield suffered a 5-0 shutout to Brown in the tournament’s opening day. The Stags fell behind early when Brown scored three first-half goals while out-shooting Fairfield 16-7 for the game. According to Piechocki, the Stags didn’t play consistent and suffered through mental lapses.
Fairfield made bad decisions and lacked defensive support, according to Piechocki, in the team’s 3-2 loss to Vermont on the final day of the regional tournament. Junior Sandy Michaels and freshman Amy Milhomme tallied the Stags’ two goals in the game.
The Stags, however, had several chances to tie the game but missed on a penalty kick opportunity, a one-on-one with the goalkeeper and a corner kick in the waning moments of the game.
After opening the season with five road games, Fairfield plays its home-opener Friday against St. Joseph’s on the new Lessing Field. According to Piechocki, St. Joseph’s is a comparable team to the Stags and will match up well against Fairfield.
The Stags are excited about playing on the new field and hope it helps ignite the team to better success the rest of the year.
“I think the biggest thing is how excited we are to play our home-opener,” Piechocki said. “We’re really looking forward to playing on our new field and really want to do well.”
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