The Fairfield University women’s soccer team continues to impress in the 2024 season, with a remarkable 10-1-1 overall record and a 5-0-1 record in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Stags are playing strong at home and away as they remain undefeated on Lessing Field with a perfect 7-0 record.
This past Wednesday, October 2nd, Fairfield defended their home record with a solid 3-1 victory over the Saint Peter’s Peacocks, bouncing back after a draw against Siena. This showcased the Stag’s overall resilience as they moved forward in their season with the hope of a MAAC Championship title.
The season began with an exciting comeback win against Holy Cross, where forward Maddy Theriault ‘26 and Ashlyn Walsh ‘28 played key roles in the 2-1 score. Theriault has consistently been a standout player this season, contributing both goals and assists.
Under the leadership of head coach David Barrett, the Stags are building on back-to-back appearances in the MAAC Championship finals. They have been working hard this season to once again be contenders for the title. And so far, they are looking promising.
The October 2nd game, which kicked off at 7:00 PM, was special not only for the Stags win but also because of the event it was centered around. With October being breast cancer awareness month, the Stags took action to participate and give back.
The team participated in “Herd for a Cure”, an event aimed toward raising money for breast cancer, overall looking to benefit the Norma Pfriem Breast Cancer Center. Players wore pink socks and hair ribbons to support the cause and also encouraged fans to wear pink themselves. The event also included t-shirt sales and raffles, further highlighting the community’s involvement in supporting breast cancer awareness and the team’s connection with the Fairfield community.
Theriault, Emilie Cook ‘26, and Reagan Klarmann ‘25 each scored a goal for the Stags, leading them to the victory. Theriault opened the game for the Stags and set the stage by scoring in the 22nd minute. She had a total of 5 shots during the game and was assisted by Elle Scott for her goal that gave the Stags a one-point lead.
Saint Peter’s managed to tie the game in the 31st minute through Cara Therrien on a free kick, assisted by Lucia Mansilla Medina.
With pressure to secure a lead, the Stags came back just one minute later with another goal, this time scored by Cook with an assist from graduate student Caroline Kelly. Cook, like Theriault, is a forward and junior at Fairfield. This was Cook’s first goal of the season.
Klarmann later sealed the win with a third goal for Fairfield in the 76th minute of the game, assisted by Walsh.
Overall, the Stags had 23 shots whereas Saint Peter’s had just six. The Stags also had nine corners during the game compared to five for the Peacocks. Fairfield also had fewer fouls than Saint Peter’s, with only six total.
Fairfield then continued their strong season with a 2-0 victory against Manhattan College on their turf in New York on October 5th.
The first half of the game was tight, with a scoreless draw for the first 40 minutes. But, Maddy Theriault showed out again for the team by scoring at the end of the 40th minute. Theriault was assisted by Dana Nadda ‘27, who sent in a pass from the right wing.
Just ten minutes later, Klarmann scored in the 50th minute. Klarmann has also been a standout player for Fairfield and scored off a tip from Theriault. Her goal solidified Fairfield’s lead, and from that point, the Stags had control of the game.
The offense was relentless, as they took 20 shots on goal and earned 16 corner kicks throughout the game. With Manhattan taking 6 shots, graduate goalkeeper Lindsay Dewar and the defense held strong, securing a shutout.
With these two wins, Fairfield’s season continues to look promising as they get ready for their next game. They will face Merrimack College tonight at 7 P.M. Come out and support the team as they fight to defend their winning record this season!
