Author Scott Apuzzo

Last year's season-ending men's basketball game against lowly Loyola drew a crowd of 3,924 at the Arena. The crowd for Monday's showdown against rival Providence, whom the Stags very nearly upset, was 3,777, begging the question: How could a conference game against a bad team outdraw a game against a Big East opponent who went to the NCAA tournament two years ago? Both Providence and Saint Joseph's, whom the Stags played last in the Nov.

By Scott L. Apuzzo Up 2-0 and closing in the on the end of the first half, the field hockey team was looking at an upset and a shocker against the top seed in the NEC tournament, Rider. Fairfield gave up three goals in the second period and lost a heartbreaker to Rider 3-2 in the NEC tournament semifinals held in Lawrenceville, N.

By Scott Apuzzo Throw out all the records when these two teams meet. Intensity is above the clouds. Adrenaline is boiling. These two teams look forward to one game a year: Fairfield versus Iona. And this year, the two teams played in the MAAC opener.

Beginning a season with a tough non-conference schedule can prime a team for conference play, for Fairfield women's field hockey it may have done just that. Despite a slow start to the season, the team has stepped up and won three of their last four conference games.

The Stags women's soccer team entered a key matchup Sunday with first place Loyola, coming off of a three game winning streak and putting them in second place in the MAAC. Fairfield, which entered the game with a 6-4-1 (3-1) record, lost a close one to Loyola, 1-0.

Feelings were riding high for Fairfield's field hockey team coming into this season, after they lost last year by a goal and finished second in the NEC Championship Game. The team carried that small success over to the season opener by defeating UMass 2-1 in Amherst, Mass.

THE ULTIMATE STAGS VIEWING GUIDE With students new and old just about done unpacking and ready to take on the academic year, here are the top five stories to look for from Fairfield sports in 2005-06. 5. Soccer is the Stags' second best Men's team, behind lacrosse.

By Scott Apuzzo Most teams with two sophomore captains are not favored to win league championships. But most sophomores are not Lindsey Lee and Jazmin Pa'akaula, and because of that, the Stags' women's volleyball team was picked first in the MAAC pre-season coaches' poll.

by Scott Apuzzo Snow was not going to stop this game from kicking off the 2005 season for the men's lacrosse team. Fairfield attained its first victory of the campaign with a 12-4 defeat over Holy Cross. Alumni Field was cleared off from the snowstorm of two days earlier and did not have an effect on the Stags performance.

by Scott Apuzzo The Lady Stags are looking at one of the toughest schedules that they have played in years. In early November the Women's Basketball Coaches Association released its preseason strength of schedule rankings, a ranking system based upon the quality of teams each NCAA Division I team faces during its season.