Loyola 66 Fairfield 65

The Fairfield University men's basketball team (12-4, 5-1 MAAC) ended their 11 game winning streak as they were edged by the Loyola Greyhounds (7-9, 3-3 MAAC). Click for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:
-This is the first loss for the Stags since late November when they were defeated by St.Joseph at the Webster Bank Arena. Speaking of streaks, this is the first time they lost at Loyola since 1998. They previously had a 13 game winning streak on the road against the Greyhounds.

-This is by far the most points that they allowed to a MAAC team and the most points given up since November 15th when they lost to Rutgers. This is the second most allowed in any game on the season.

-Ryan Olander sat after he picked up his fourth foul, he only played 28 minutes on the game. When he went on the bench Justin Drummond went on a tear and scored 7 points.

-The Stags did have a chance at the end of the game but Ryan Olander could not hit the three pointer, and the Greyhounds followed with a dunk off the inbounds (even though it might have been a 5 second violation)

This was a bad game all over. The defense really struggled as Loyola seemed to be able to score at will, and they did hit alot of clutch threes when they needed it the most. Without Olander, the Stags seemed very thin and Loyola took advantage and really killed the Stags in the paint and all over on offense.

The key stat is of course: 8-19. That is what the entire team did at the free throw line. It was really embarrasing to say the least. They were getting better at the line in recent games but obviously not here. Needham, Edney, and Hawkins who are the team's best free throw shooters went a combined 4-12 from the line. Inexcusable as those three players should be your leaders that step up in crunch time, but Fairfield seemed to be lacking leaders down the stretch.

Before the game the team watched the match between Buster Douglass and Mike Tyson and the coaches explained that they could become like Mike Tyson and just settle to be good, or they could stay hungry. Obviously, they got knocked out.

Player of the Game: Derek Needham with a team high 14 points (4-7 from 3) and 4 assists.

Up Next: The Stags travel to Rider to play the Broncs on Monday 1/17 at 7 PM.

Siena 54 Fairfield 46

The Fairfield University women's basketball team (10-4, 3-1 MAAC) ended their six game winning streak losing to the Siena Saints (6,8 4-0 MAAC) on the road. Click for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:
-The Stag's six game winning streak came to an end, while the Saints improved theirs to five straight.

-The Stags did not got many breaks in this game and Joe Frager said they had "two to three mental lapses" on defense in the first half and the team has not played in a game like this. He admitted that the squad made some silly mistake and were "panicky"

-Brittany MacFarlane was the lone standout and she recorded a double-double including a career high 13 rebounds.

-Desiree Pina shot 2-11 from the floor and 0-3 from behind the arc. Katelyn Linney was 4-16 and 3-14 from three while Joelle Nawrocki was 1-4 from long distance. The team total was 6-29 from three.

I agree with Frager, this was really one of the first times that the team played in a game that was not a blow out. They had to learn how to control the ball in a way that they were able to get an open shot. The team did not take advantage of their offense as it seemed everybody had an off day. The game would have been out of control if MacFarlane did not step up when Taryn Johnson was on the bench with foul trouble. Siena does deserve credit as they kept their composure and actually made their free throws.

Player of the Game: Brittany MacFarlane really showed something today.

Up Next: The Stags travel to Loyola on 1/14 at 4:30.

Fairfield 70 St. Peters 43

The Fairfield University men's basketball team (12-3, 5-0 MAAC) won their 11th straight game blowing out the St. Peters Peacocks (8-8, 3-2 MAAC) at the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard. Click for a full recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:
-Fairfield has won 11 straight games the longest since the 1961-1962 season when the Stags pulled off 13 consecitive victories. It is the eighth longest streak in the nation.

-The Stags are now ranked second in the nation in scoring defense.

-The Peacocks have lost 12 straight games against the Stags and have never beaten Ed Cooley. Despite starting both Ryan Bacon and Wesley Jenkins who were both injured earlier in the week.

-St.Peters was the second to last team to allow 70 points to an opponent. (The Stags have still not allowed that many). Fairfield could have scored more if they kept the pedal to the metal.

-Derek Needham led all scorers with 16 points going to the free throw line 10 times which accounted for half of his points. Ryan Olander recorded his third double double with 15 points and pulling down a game high 12 rebounds.

This was a great game. It is obvious that the team is improving with every game. The defense was spectacular but the Peacocks did miss a lot of easy put backs and close layups. Every time that the Peacocks thought about going through the hole they clogges up the middle and the team was quick recording 8 steals and 7 blocks.

Ryan Olander was a beast on the boards. He made it look easy in this game and got a lot of key rebounds. He would reach for the long rebound and was able to power through to get the close tips. He also DID NOT MISS a shot going 7-7 from the floor and even 1-1 from behind the arc. He had a perfect game and only committed two fouls early in the second half. This was the best that I have ever seen him, he just seemed to play with confidence.

Despite going only 4-12 from the floor and 0-4 from three, Derek Needham looked like last year's version. That was the immediate feeling. He had a 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio. But what made you the happiest was the way he drove to the hoop and either pulled up for a fading layup or rose above everyone to get a near easy layup. The shots just did not go in. Simple as that. If he continues with the way he played today, his numbers will improve.
Player of the Game: Derek Needham and Ryan Olander. Arguably the best they have both been this year.

Up Next: The Stags will go for 12 in a row as they travel to Loyola University on 1/14.

Fairfield Women's game Postponed

The Fairfield Women's Soccer game against the Harvard Crimson has been postponed due to rain. There is no makeup date as of yet and it will be announced at a future date. The women's team hosts Manhattan College on Friday night at 7 PM. That game will be broadcasted on wvof.org with student broadcasters.

New Hampshire 1 Fairfield 0

The Fairfield Stags Men's Soccer team (1-3-4) was shutout by the New Hampshire Wildcats (5-0-2) last night. Click for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:
- The lone goal of the game came just 5 minutes into the first half. Michael O'Keeffe had a solid 85:00 of shutout soccer tallying up 9 saves.

- The Stags were out shot 10-5 on goal.

- Fairfield has not won since September 6th. They are 0-2-3 over that span.

Just like the women's soccer team I am concerned about the offense. They did have lots of shots. The bright spot of this is that the players you rely on all had these shots on goal. Jon Clements the freshmen, had two shots on goal and Erik Ilisije had 1 of his own. It's the law of averages. If they keep shooting it and making the best of their opportunities then these goals will end up touching the back of the net sooner or later.

Up Next:
The Stags travel to battle the University of Rhode Island on Saturday, October 2nd.

Princeton 2 Fairfield 0

The Fairfield Stags women's soccer team (4-5-1) were shut out again this time at the hands of the Princeton Tigers (5-3). Click for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:
-Kelly Boudreau had 11 saves in the contest 9 of those came in the first half. The Stags were out shot 10-1 in the first half and 17-4 in the game.

-With this shut out the Stags haven't scored a goal in 290 minutes! They have not touched net in nearly 2 weeks.

-The Stags offensive stars including preseason player of the year Jasmin Corniel, 2009 preseason player of the year Nicole Cavallaro, and Casey Frobey each have only one goal on the season.

I'm really worried about the Stags offense this season. After their loss to army their coach pointed out that they do not play an entire game and they are falling out early. The Stags enter MAAC play reeling on the offensive side. This is Princeton and the Stags have never beat Princeton in their program history but I am sure that coach O'Brien was not happy with the team being out shot 10-1 in the first half. Maybe this promising offense needs to get into conference play to be successful but their forwards are STACKED.

Up Next:
The Stags will host Harvard on Tuesday October 5th at 6 PM. The Stags have not scored a goal in over 300 minutes at Lessing Field. Fairfield has also never beaten Harvard with a 0-4-2 career record against the Crimson.

Army 1 Fairfield 0

The Fairfield Stags women's soccer team (4-4) were shutout by the Army Black Knights (7-2) this afternoon. The Stags are now 1-3 in home games this year. Click for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:

-Fairfield has been shutout 3 straight games at home.

-Army is ranked 7th in the NSCAA Mid Atlantic Region

-The Black Knights have only allowed 3 goals all year.

I liked what I saw out of the team in the second half. They came out aggressive and really had Army on its heels and almost tied up the game but Jasmin Corniel's shot was saved by a diving Alex Lostetter to keep the lead. I am a little worried about the Stag's offense and how can you not be. They haven't scored a goal at home for over 300 minutes and have been shutout in three of their last 4 games. O'Brien says it's because they don't play a full game and I agree. They are 0-4 when trailing this season but undefeated when they score the first goal.

Up Next:

The Stags will take on the Hartford Hawks on Thursday at 7 PM.

Fairfield 3 Stony Brook 0

The Fairfield Stags women's basketball team (4-3) shutout the Stony Brook Seawolves (0-7-1) last night. The Stags snap their three game losing streak. Click for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:

- Spenser Allaway played in her first game of the season and also recorded her first game winning goal of the year. It is her 7th career GWG.

- Jac Ley scored her first two collegiate goals in the contest.

- Shannon Fay assisted on 2 out of the three goals.

- Kelly Boudreau made 8 saves to complete the shutout

This is what the Stags needed. I know it is aganist a winless team but it is the way that they won. They got that little spark from a returning player in Spenser Allaway. It is great to see her play again. She has dealt with so many injuries during her career and she has shown that she has the talent. She was named to the All-MAAC First Team last year and she is defintely an ignitor to the offense.

One of the main reasons why I love Coach O'Brien is he is great at getting the whole team involved. The four main freshmen recruits have played in every game and have all made a big impact. I really think it is a very talented class and will enjoy watching them all season.

Up Next:

The Stags will host Army on Sunday at 1PM. The Black Knights are currently third in the nation in defense.

Fairfield 0 Boston College 0

The Fairfield Stags Men's soccer team (1-1-3) battled #13 Boston College (2-0-2) to a scoreless draw last night. It is the second straight tie for the Stags. Click here for a complete recap.

The Least You Should Know:
-Michael O'Keeffe extended his scoreless streak to 281 minutes. He made 5 saves in the contest including a diving stop in the closing minutes.

-The Eagles outshot the Stags 17-11 including 6-3 on goal.

-In the 99th minute, Fairfield's shot hit the crossbar and Adam Cowen got the rebound but the Eagle's goalkeeper managed to save it and force a second overtime

Do the Stags win this game with Jack Burridge? It's questionable but you can certainly make the argument. All-in-all this is a GREAT game for the Stags. I mean even though they did not pull off the upset they showed that they can go face to face with some of the best teams. For a team that lost aganist winless Albany to start the year this is a HUGE step in the right direction and with only a few non-conference games left, this team might be getting hot at the right time.

Up Next:
The Stags play their sixth straight home game as they host the Northeastern Huskies Friday at 7PM.

UMASS 4 Fairfield 0

The Fairfield Stags women's soccer team (3-3) were shutout by UMASS (3-2) yesterday at Lessing Field. Click here for a complete boxscore and recap.

The Least You Should Know:

-Coach O'Brien called the loss "in one word embarassing."

-The Stags have now lost 3 in a row.

-They have been outshot 71-18 in that span.

This was as bad of a loss you can get. For a team that held their own aganist two nationally ranked teams, to show up flat and get blown out by UMASS is really an embarassment. They really just showed no life and some of the goals looked like it could have been prevented if it wasn't for mishandling by the defense.

Up Next:

The Stags will travel to Stony Brook on Thursday at 7 PM.

Fairfield 2 Yale 1

The Fairfield Stags men's soccer team (1-1-1) edged the Yale Bulldogs (0-2) by the score of 2-1 to win their first game of the season. Click here for a complete recap.

The Least You Should Know:

-Erik Ilisije scored both Fairfield goals including the GWG in the second overtime. It was his first two goals of the season.

- Jack Burridge played in his first game after missing nearly six over the past two years.

- Michael O'Keeffe made a great diving stop to keep the game tied in overtime.

- The Stags outshot their opponent once again by a 11-8 margin.

This is the game that you want to see from the Stags and I do not think it is a coincidence that this happened when Jack Burridge returned to the lineup. He was their leading scorer last year and they do not look the same without him.

This was the third straight game where the Stags held the edge in the shot category. If they continue this then their scoring will have to increase. That is an important stat.

Up Next:

The Stags will play their fourth straight home game Saturday afternoon when they host UMASS at 2:00

Georgetown 2 Fairfield 1

The Fairfield Stags women's soccer team (3-1) became the latest victim of the #22 Georgetown Hoya (6-0) during the final game of the D.C. Invitational. For a complete recap click here.

The Least you should know:

-Ingrid Wells scored the first goal aganist the Stags this season during a penalty kick at 16:47 snapping a 286:47 shutout streak.

-After a missed penalty kick by the Hoyas, Shannon Fay turned it into a transition score. It was her first of her career.

-Samantha Baker made the game winning goal in overtime to stay undefeated.

-Kelly Boudreau made a season high 9 saves.

-The Hoyas outshot the Stags 24-4

This overtime loss made me believe in this team. I know they allowed 24 shots but they were only one kick away from taking down the 22nd best team in the nation. The Stags had looked dominant in their first 3 games and I hope that if this loss affects them it is only positive outlooks of the season.

Up Next:

The Stags will take on another ranked team when they host the #6 ranked Boston College Eagles Friday night on Lessing Field starting at 7 PM.

Fairfield 1 American 0

The Fairfield Stags (3-0) women's soccer team shutout the American Eagles (0-5) last night. Click here for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:
-Casey Frobey scored the only goal for the Stags. She moved past Ahna Johnson for sixth on the all time points list with 73 and she also has 28 career goals which is one shy of Johnson's mark for fifth.

-This is the first Stags team to record 3 consecitive shutouts to start a season

-Fairfield starts a season winning three in a row for the first time since 2001. No team has ever started 4-0.

-Kelly Boudreau recorded her 25th career win which moves her into fourth on the all-time list.

Up Next:
The Stags will take one the 22nd ranked Georgetown Hoyas on Monday.

Northern Colorado 3 Fairfield 0

The Fairfield Stags volleyball team (1-5) were shutout by the Northern Colorado Bears (5-2) during the first game of a volleyball double header. Click here for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:

-Fairfield lost each set 25-17

- The Stags had their second straight game hitting under .100 only collecting a .074 percentage.

-No Stag had double digits in kills with Hayley Moyer and Haililani Pokipala leading the team with 8.

-Rachel Romansky bounced back to record 26 assists and 3 kills.

I am concerned about the little hitting percentage that the Stags had. Last night, I posted that the graduation of Katie Mann could have drastically affected the number of blocks that the team has had but also remember she was the all-time leader in hitting percentage.

Fairfield 2 Bradley 2

The Fairfield Stags men's soccer team (0-1-1) battled to a draw with the Bradley Braves (1-0-1) Friday night. Click here for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:

-Fairfield missed a bunch of offensive opportunities and were either outran by the defender or missed wide on the goal in breakaways.

-Adam Cowen scored the first goal of the Stags season and senior David Piedrahita followed with a penalty kick in the second half.

-Michael O'Keeffe made four saves

Bradley is a good team. Every time the Stags scored, the Braves beared down and looked to tie it up. This was a very physical matchup alsowith both teams exchanging words and having to be seperated afterwords. Although they have not won a game so far in the early campaign, Coach Rees says he likes what he has seen out of the team and remember it is only the nonconference games.

Up Next:

The Stags will play Tuesday night at 7 PM aganist Yale.

Georgia 3 Fairfield 0

The Fairfield Stags women's volleyball team (1-4) were shutout by the Georgia Bulldogs (5-0) in the second game of the Hampton's Inns and suites Colorado Classic. Click here for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:

-The Stags were held to an .011 hitting percentage and is hitting only .110 through the early season.

-Alex Lopez had her best game of the season with 3 kills and 6 digs.

-Rachel Romansky only had 18 assists. It was the first time all season she was held to less than 20 assits.

-Lauren Hughes and Stephanie Cruz did not play.

Another stat that scares me is the amount of blocks that the team had. The Stags recordedonly 2 blocks, while Georgia denied 22. Remember this is a team that lost the best middle blocker in its history with Katie Mann. Does the freshmen Hayley Moyer have what it takes to fill those shoes? Or who has to step up because throughout the campaign if you compare the amount of block assists, Fairfield has recorded 30 while the opposition has ammassed 104.

Up Next:

The Stags will play a double header on Saturday, the first game aganist the host team Northern Colorado 9 AM (MDT)

Fairfield 3 South Dakota 1

The Fairfield Stags women's volleyball team (1-3) defeated the South Dakota Coyotes yesterday in the first game of the Northern Colorado Classic. This was the first meeting between the two in program history. Click here for a complete boxscore and recap

The Least You Should Know:

-Brianna Dixion lead the team with kills with 13. She has had double digit kills in every game this year.

-Rachel Romansky recorded her first career double-double with 41 assists and 11 digs.

-The Stags did commit 33 errors and only hit .102.

-Lauren Hughes has a season high 10 kills.

Well, we are finally in the win column even though I was pretty concerned with the amount of errors that we comitted. I still think in order for us to succeed Lauren Hughes needs to have a good season and she had a good game. Rachel Romanksy continues to impress and she is "very good."

Albany 2 Fairfield 0

The Fairfield Stags (0-1) were stunned by the Albany Great Danes (1-0) last night to start off the season. Albany wins it's first game since 2008. Click here for a full recap.

The Least You Should Know:

-Fairfield did have their opportunities with 15 shots and having 9 of them on goal. Kwadwo Asante mad a terrfic play but Adrian Foncette made an amazing stop to deflect the kick just above the net.

-The first goal came because of a loose ball turnover and they scored on a breakaway.

-Once again: Albany won their first game since 2008.

-850 people showed up to watch the defeat.

I know that it's Albany and their leading scorer last year had 5 total points but they did have some bright lights. I was very impressed with their goal keeper. Last year he played every minute of every game and finished with 1.66 goals per game good enough to win team MVP. He had 9 saves last night but that wasn't even close to his career high when he stopped a NCAA Division 1 program record with 16 aganist Colgate.

The Stags did play aggressively in the first half but they did not cash in on their opportunities. This is not how you want to start off your season. There were 850 energetic fans who were cheering and even during the wave! They were into the game. At least the team did not show up flat for their opening game. At the end of the day, this is a non-conference game and it is a good thing that they have time to improve offensively before they start with their conference slate. They should have help when Jack Burridge will suit up, "probably at the third game of the season."

Up Next

The Stags will continue their 7 game homestand opposing Bradley University Friday night at 7 PM.

Colgate 3 Fairfield 1

The Fairfield Stags (0-3) were defeated by the Colgate Raiders (2-0) yesterday in the Colgate Classic. The loss finishes a hard sweep aganist the Stags. Check out the Stags website for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know

-Fairfield still has never beaten Colgate as they are now 0-5 in program history aganist the Patriot League school.

-Alex Lopez still does not have a kill this year.

-Romansky had 4 kills, 26 assists, and 2 block assists to offset 2 errors.

- Brianna Dixion was the only Stag to reach double digits in kills with 10. She has reached at least that figure in every game so far.

- The Stags made 26 errors and now have 82 on the year.

This not the way that the Stags wanted to get their season started. Last year, they went 2-1 in their first three games albiet it was from easier competition. But this always happens for the Stags. They dominate the regular season but cannot seem to win in out of conference games. You wonder, how strong is the MAAC? The Stags finished the year 145th in the nation in RPI ranking and combined with Niagara they were the only two MAAC schools in the top 150. It just might be the strongest weak team beating up on other weak teams in a bad conference.

The Stags are only hitting .145 as a team and only have 2 players hitting over .300.

Stephanie Cruz has more kills than Alex Lopez.

Up Next:

The Stags will play in the Northern Colorado Classic. They will face South Dakota and Georgia on September 3rd.

Fairfield 2 Binghamton 0

The Fairfield Stags (2-0) women's soccer team shut out the Binghamton Bear Cats (0-1) at Lessing Field for the Stag's home opener. It was the first meeting between the two and Fairfield has record back to back shutouts. Check out the Stags website for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:

- It is only the second time in program history that they shutout the first two opponents. The first one coming in the very first year.

- The Stags are now 5-0-1 in home openers under Coach Jim O' Brien.

- The two goals were scored by Nicole Cavallaro and Kasey Schulz. It was the first of the season for both.

- Kelly Boudreau assisted on the first goal (the first of her career) and Sarah Alesio dished out to Cavallaro in the second half.

- Stags only allowed 3 shots on goal. Throughout the first 2 games they have only allowed 4 shots.

The defense is really looking like a surprise for this team. Alyssa Decker had an amazing game and the Bear Cats were not able to get anything by her for most of the game. Carly Beyar also looks very good at the midfield as she showed off her athleticism and also played very well on defense.

Jasmin Corniel did take 3 shots and have one of those on goal, but she made some bad kicks and sat for most of the second half.

The game ball:

Goes to Kasey Schulz who mad an amazing shot falling down and hitting the top of the far post. Both of her shots were on goal and she really made matchup difficulties due to her speed.