Stags Athletes to Take Part in a Talent Show

The Fairfield Stags will host their first ever Stag Athletic Talent show on Saturday, January 29th at 7PM at Alumni Hall. The event is sponsored by the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) and all proceeds from 50/50 raffles, concessions, and collection throughout the evening will be donated to the Grace Evanko Fund, a second grader from the Fairfield area who is battling an inoperable brain tumor. The event is free and open to the University community and public.

Grace and her family enjoyed spending time with members of SAAC at the women’s basketball game against Niagara University on January 23. "It was a great opportunity to meet Grace and her family, get to know them, as well as support the women’s basketball team,” said SAAC co-president, and women’s lacrosse player Kelley Brady.

More student-athletes will have the chance to meet Grace and her family as well this Saturday night as all 20 varsity programs will be putting on an act, or helping with set-up and concessions.

The student-athletes will have five minutes to show the crowd their talent. "It will be an exciting event for the teams to show their creative side in a fun competition. The event is another way for the student-athletes to come together as a group, instead of 20 different teams,” said Senior Associate Director of Athletics and SAAC Advisor Alison Sexton.

Each team will perform in front of a panel of guest judges including head men’s basketball coach Ed Cooley, as well as former FUSA president Hutchinson Williams. Items to be raffled include MAAC apparel, Harlem Globetrotter tickets, digital camera picture frame and much more! So come out to Alumni Hall this Saturday, January 29 at 7 pm to support the Stags and a great cause.

This is an absolutely terrific story, I did watch the video of her father speaking about the event and he seems like a great guy. This event will be a segment on the next episode of Stags Country. But this is a great chance to see the Stags perform at Alumni, in a different way then they are used to but for an even better cause.

Most of the pieces I have heard are dance numbers but I have also heard rumors that there will be a circus act and Keith Matthews will display his ball dribbliing abilities.

Fairfield 54 George Mason 37

The Fairfield Stags women's basketball team (2-0) cruised past the George Mason Pioneers (1-1) last night. The Stags have won two straight and including last year have won 11 of their last 12.

The Least You Should Know:
- Katelyn Linney scored a career high 30 points including tying the school's single game record with 7 threes. The 30 points is sixth all-time on the single game list. She went 7-8 from three and did not miss a shot the entire second half.

- The Stags outrebounded their opponent for the second straight game.

-Frager said he was very impressed with their defense

Linney had an absolutely amazing game. Throughout the whole game she only missed three shots. Granted she won't be like this every game but the Stags are desperately going to need her shooting in order to compete this season.

The Game Ball Goes to: Katelyn Linney, one of the best games. Her last three came at the top of the key when she was falling down, shades of Mike Evanovich.

Up Next: The Stags host the Cornell Big Red at Alumni Hall Friday at 7:00.

Beyar and Decker make All-MAAC teams

Stags defensive backs, Carly Beyar and Alyssa Decker were both named to All-MAAC teams in the awards ceremony on Thursday. Beyar was named to the All-MAAC rookie team with her defensive prowess and 2 goals scored (second on the team) and Decker was named to the Second team for her defensive play. It is Beyar's first career award by the MAAC and Decker's third. It is the first time Decker has not been named to the First team in her career.

I am shocked that Kelly Boudreau was not named to nay team despite her 11 shutouts. Pre-season player of the year Jasmin Corniel was also left off all the teams. Freshmen Shannon Fay and Jac Ley were also snubbed from the rookie team despite being on the upper level of the team in goals and points.

The team concludes their season as they host Harvard in a make-up game that is scheduled for November 11th.

Women’s Soccer Stays Alive, Boudreau makes history

The women's soccer team was 20 minutes from their season being in serious jeopardy, but they kept their playoff hopes alive on Sunday in a must win game over the Niagara Purple Eagles. It was a day to remember for a number of exciting reasons, one even historic, and an afternoon that at least three players will never forget. The class of 2010 bid farewell to the home crowd on the Fairfield University campus. They are two of the most accomplished players in the history of the program and both showed their promise early on as they captured
the MAAC Rookie of the Year award in back-to- back seasons. 148 starts, 135 points , 43 goals, and 49 assists later these two players have inked their names in a number of records, team captains Nicole Cavallaro and Casey Frobey competed in their last game on Lessing Field. "I love playing here and there's not many memories I don't like so it's only happy times," said Casey Frobey. She ranks fifth in the school's history with points (74) and goals (29). It's the last time they will compete on the lowcut grass on Lessing Field, the last time they will stare up at the dark red clock ticking down on the scoreboard above, but fortunately for the Stags it ended up being the last time they could celebrate a win on campus. "It was extremely sad," said Nicole Cavallaro. The New York native will graduate second in Fairfield history with assists (33).

But after the players and their parents were presented their flowers, the flashes of the cameras faded, and the seniors jogged out for the last time wearing their cardinal red uniforms it was a junior who earned her own celebration. Goalkeeper Kelly Boudreau broke Anne Lyons' shutout record set a decade ago. The Farmington, Connecticut native secured her record setting 25^th clean sheet but wouldn't take all the credit, "I wouldn't be here without my team especially my back four, Alyssa Decker does not get enough credit, she's been here since I've come here, so it's all her, it's all the back four it's not an individual award it's more a team award," she said. Boudreau has helped the team from the day she arrived. She's a two time All-MAAC Second team representative and is also tops in the program history in goals against average. "To do it in her junior year, she's still got her senior year, she's going to pad that record for a long time," said Jim O'Brien. The sixth year head coach is a fellow goalkeeper from his playing days and he knows a great talent, "I think she's definitely one of the tops that we ever had and Fairfield has been known to have good quality goalkeepers over the years," he said. Boudreau reached double digits in shutouts for the season but none were more important than number ten.

The Stags entered the game in sixth place in the MAAC staring up at a 4 way tie for third with only the top four teams advancing to the conference tournament. With the added three points, Fairfield has moved into sole possession of third place. With a loss the team would have been in playoff crisis, but they refused to have the same team potentially end their season two years in a row. Last year the third seeded Stags were upset by the Purple Eagles in the First Round of the Tournament down in Disney. "We wanted to get a little payback," coach O'Brien said. The players came pumped for the rematch, "we wanted to beat them and show them we were actually the better team," Frobey said.

The Stags will play two more games on the road to close out the regular season. "We're peaking offensively at the right time," Jim O'Brien said. If Fairfield wins both games they will automatically clinch a playoff spot. Their vital road trip will begin when they will travel to Siena on Friday. The Saints were the last undefeated untied Division one school in the nation and were once ranked as #25 in the nation. However, the last time they played on that field up in Albany they won the MAAC title. After two days, the Stags will travel up to Poughkeepsie to take on the current number one seed Marist. The Red Foxes are currently 6-1 in the conference but the players actually enjoy playing on the road, "Personally, I get more pumped up for road games than I do home games, I don't know why," Boudreau said.

After a disappointing loss to Canisius the Stags faced a must win game and they were up for the challenge. With all the storylines. The playoff chase, the rivalry with Niagara, the graduation of one of the most successful senior class, and Boudreau's new school record, Frobey hopes this can propel the team, "I think the emotion that the team showed when we scored the goal and at the end of the game is something that we can remember for next week and we'll just remember that feeling and want to play for that feeling."

Women's Soccer Looking to Clinch MAAC Spot

The Fairfield University women's soccer team is looking to clinch one of the top four spots to qualify for the MAAC tournament. The Stags are currently in third place with 10 points (3-1-1). There is a 3 way tie for fourth place with Canisius, Niagara, and Loyola all deadlocked at 9 points. Fairfield will have 4 games remaining in their regular season. They control their own destiny to clinch a tournament berth. If they win 3 of their final 4 games then they are automatically in. They can also clinch if they go 2-0-2. If they sweep and win all four games then they will clinch the MAAC regular season crown.

It is probably easier said then done as their final four games are all against teams in the race. Canisius and Niagara will travel to Fairfield this weekend. Both teams are tied in fourth with 9 points. Next week the soccer team will wrap up the regular season as they travel to Marist and Siena. Both teams are numbers 1 and 2 respectfully in the MAAC. Siena was the last unbeaten and untied team in the nation and once stood with a #25 ranking.

The only loss the team has in the conference was against Loyola, the only other team in the playoff hunt. The Greyhounds are the only team out of the Championship hopefuls that the Stags have faced.

It is sure going to be an exciting weekend. If they can sweep the series they will be in much better shape but this is a HUGH weekend for them. The downside is that they end the year with four tough opponents. Let's see if they can do it.

Canisius College Friday 7 p.m
Niagara University Sunday 1 p.m

Both games this weekend will be available for viewing on-line through the Stags partnership with Stretch Internet. On Sunday afternoon, Ivey Speight will be providing play-by-play commentary on the broadcast. As always, livestats are available for both games.

Boudreau wins MAAC and ECAC Defensive Player of the Week

Stags goalie Kelly Boudreau has been named the MAAC and ECAC Defensive Player of the Week. For the full story click here. It is the third time she has been awarded this honor and the second time for the ECAC.

She earned back to back shutouts this weekend while stopping 7 shots. For the season she has 8 shutouts to add that to her now 23 career. She is now 1.5 behind first place in the history of Fairfield University.

She ranks tops in the MAAC in:
Goals Aganist Average
Saves
Shutouts
Save Percentage- which is tenth in the nation!

She has not allowed a goal in 290 minutes in MAAC Play.

Fairfield Teams Up with Stretch Internet

Fairfield University has announced a new partnership with Stretch Internet to broadcast the remaining collegiate events. The first game will be Friday night with the women's soccer team hosting Manhattan. For the full story click here.




Prices Include:
All-Access Package- all events that Fairfield broadcasts $125 per year
Fall Broadcast- all fall sports (soccer, volleyball, field hockey) $69
Basketball Broadcast $99
Lacrosse Broadcast $49
Per-game Fee $7.95

The game broadcasts will STILL be broadcasted on wvof.org, and the audio from that will also be available on the internet broadcast. A full schedule will be announced shortly.

Click here to get started!

WVOF to air Soccer and Volleyball Games

WVOF has announced that they will air most of the remaining home conference games for men's and women's soccer and volleyball for the season. The first game will be on Friday at 7:00 PM and can be listened to by clicking here. Or go to wvof.org and click on "Listen to Web Stream"

400 minutes- No goals

With the scoreless tie against the Iona Gaels to start the MAAC portion of their schedule, the Fairfield Women's Soccer team has not scored a goal in now 400 minutes. That's 5 hours! Their last goal came against Stony Brook, on September 16th.

I say it after every game. The team has the talent. Every place you look, they have quality forwards who are expected to be great. Frobey, Corniel, Cavalarro, and Allaway are some of the best talents in the MAAC. As a side note the last two goal that the team scored came off the foot of freshmen Jac Ley.

The team is back in action on Tuesday when they take on Harvard at Lessing Field. Fairfield has not scored on its home field in over 300 minutes.

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.

Kelly Boudreau Interview

Stags goalie Kelly Boudreau was a guest of the WVOF show Gettin Lite. In the interview she talked about:

-How the defense is really good but the offense has been struggling. She does feel that they have the offensive fire power to succeed.

-She says the team's goal is to win the MAAC and then win the game in the NCAA Tournament.

-Coach O'Brien has been a real help for her. Every time she allows a goal he critiques in how she can improve.

-Coach O'Brien was the main reason she came to Fairfield

-The loss to UMASS was a downslide and the team had no excuse for losing it.

-Spenser Allaway is one of the best players on the team.

Jac Ley wins MAAC Rookie of the Week

Stags freshmen Jac Ley was named MAAC Rookie of the Week. For a complete recap click here. Ley scored her first two collegiate goals aganist Stony Brook and currently leads the team with 4 points and two goals.

This is the common theme for the team this year. All four of the originally drafted freshmen have played significant minutes in each game and have played very well. They really look like the real deal and do not get the credit that they deserve. Yes they will make the rookie mistake but for the most part it looks like the Stags can get 4 MAAC All-Rookie team players.

Fairfield Needs a Score

Once again, the Fairfield side of the scoreboard on Lessing Field was lit up by a faint yellow 0. The Fairfield Stag's women's soccer team was shutout for the third time in their last four games. This time they were the victims of the defense of the Black Knights of Army. The squad has been struggling with the home-field advantage and have not scored a goal on campus in over 300 minutes, that's since August 27^{th, four} home games ago. "We have six attacking personality type of players on the field at any one time we definitely should be doing more in the way of sustaining attack," head coach Jim O'Brien said after the loss. The sixth year head coach has seen glimpses of the potential that highlights this team's offensive attack but not throughout the whole game. "We're not putting together long periods of good play," he said. The stats prove it. Fairfield is 0-4 when falling behind but are undefeated when scoring the first goal of the game.

This slumping group does have the talent. When the offense is clicking, they have the talent to be one of the best in the league. The attack of the team is arguably the most experienced group on the field. The forwards are led by the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, Jasmin Corniel who was also the team's leading scorer just a year ago. The junior was named to the NSCAA All-Northeast Regional team in 2009 which shows the promise that she possesses.

Red shirted senior Casey Frobey brings the experience that any squad vitally needs. The team captain is one of the most successful attackers in program history ranking sixth in points with 72 and career goals with 28.

Also, the Stags welcomed Spenser Allaway back into the lineup on Thursday at Stony Brook. It was her first game since last year and she returned with a bang scoring the game winning goal as the Stags got the road win 3-0 against the Sea Wolves. "She is definitely one of our top players and it's very nice to have her back," O'Brien said. The junior was named to the All-MAAC First team in her sophomore season and will look to increase the Stags offense.

In order for the Stags to tally up the goals they are going to need to have those "long periods of good play" O'Brien mentioned. "We're wasting time," the coach emphasized. The upcoming road will not be as tough as their previous opponents. 2 of their last three shutouts came against Boston College and Army. The Eagles were ranked fifth in the country at that time and the Black Knights have only allowed three goals this season. Two of those were allowed in their previous game versus Brown. The Stags will try to flush away their Lessing Field scoreless drought against Hartford. Will the tides turn for the 4-4 Stags? Watch as they battle the Hawks on Thursday night at 7PM.

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.

Women's Soccer needs to bounce back

After a scorching start to the season, the Fairfield University women's soccer team has cooled off in their last three games. The team experienced their lowest point of the season when they were shut out by UMASS on a chilly Sunday. Coach Jim O'Brien had only one word to describe the loss: "embarrassed."

The team has now dropped to .500 after starting the season winning 3 in a row without allowing a goal. Since then, the team has been outscored 8-1 and has been outshot 73-18 over that span.

Despite the recent slide, this team has shown promise. They nearly upset #22 Georgetown by managing to bring them into overtime, and held their own against Boston College, the fifth best team in the country. Coming into this year, the Stags knew that this difficult schedule, which featured back-to-back games against nationally ranked teams, would test their skill and depth. "It's always important for us to have a challenging non-conference schedule," O' Brien said. The sixth year head coach has seen many successful teams at Fairfield. He ranks second in wins on the all-time school list and has led the Stags to at least nine wins in each of his seasons and a NCAA Tournament bid in two of those years. You can say he knows talent. And he sees the promise of this team, comparing them to the 2008 team. That squad received 16 votes in the final NSCAA National poll by winning the MAAC championship and only losing by a goal in the Big Dance.

The one aspect of the game that he is most worried about is the team's inability to bounce back after adversity. "The way games are scheduled is to play Friday and Sunday, so you have to get over the tough losses." The ability to recuperate after these types of games defines the character of any team. It would be hard for any group who just had a heartbreaking narrow upset to come back and play an even better school in less than a week. However, O'Brien can see this now and is trying to improve early in the campaign. The loss to UMASS might have been the wakeup call that the team needed. "It's back to the drawing board," O'Brien sighed. If Fairfield is to be successful they are going to have to not just forget but learn from this "embarrassing" loss. That journey will begin when the team travels to Stony Brook on Thursday. Maybe it is a change of scenery that will help propel this promising team and have all their talent pay off.

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.

Kelly Boudreau named MAAC Defensive Player of the Week

Fairfield goalie Kelly Boudreau was named MAAC Defensive Player of the Week. This is the fourth time that the junior was awarded this honor in her career. The Farmington, Connecticut native played every second in goal for the Stags recording 13 saves and only allowing a .95 GAA. Through the first four games of the season she already has 3 shutouts and a dental floss .49 GAA!

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.