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2012OUTLOOK
14 2012 Stags Field Hockey
Coming off back-to-back nine win seasons and their first
winning season as members of the America East, Head Coach
Jackie Kane has student-athletes to build upon the program's
success in 2012. The Stags will have a well-balanced team for
the upcoming season with four seniors, four juniors, six sopho-
mores, and nine incoming freshmen. The returners from last
season will bring key leadership both on and off the field.
The senior class will provide the team with leadership in
each part of the field with forward Molly Caffrey, midfielder
Amanda Keller, defender Michelle Loor, and goalkeeper Maddy
Sposito. Sposito returns as the team's starting goalkeeper com-
ing off her best season as a Stag. She posted a save percent-
age of .694, and was ranked as high as tenth nationally with a
goals against average of 1.27 halfway through the 2011 sea-
son. She posted two shutouts last season against Sacred Heart
University and the College of Holy Cross, while owning a sea-
son-high 12 saves against conference foe Albany.
Caffrey, Keller, and Loor will both continue to lead at the
midfield position. Caffrey returns for her senior campaign after
playing in 16 games last season. She provides depth as a top
reserve and could develop into one of the team's top offensive
threats. After an extremely successful freshman season in
2010, Keller saw playing time in just nine games due to injury.
Loor, having started all 17 games in the midfield position in
2011, will bring great experience and discipline to the team
having earned her way into a starting position since her rookie
season.
The four student-athletes that make up the program's jun-
ior class have been consistent in providing depth to the offense
with two forwards, Christy Starsinic and Hillary Fitts, and two
midfielders, Shealyn Testa and Nikki McLucas. Starsinic fin-
ished her sophomore campaign with two goals and one assist.
Her speed and aggressiveness put her in every game as a
starter on the front half. Fitts has incredible stick skills and has
become an extremely versatile player after walking onto the
2010 team.
Testa played and started all 17 games last season at mid-
field where she had one goal and two assists. The Stag put con-
sistent pressure on opponents averaging one shot per game
with a final shot on goal percentage of .647. McLucas took the
majority of corners for Fairfield last season, as she held a team-
high for assists, tied with two other student-athletes.
With a year of collegiate experience, the sophomore class
will continue to make an impact on both the front and back
half. Sarah Wickles, Emily Leo, Lindsey Hatch jumped into the
lineup at forward, Jess Doggett at midfield, and Felicitas
Heinen and Valerie Buurma both earned starting positions on
defense.
Wickles jumped into the Fairfield lineup right off the bat,
playing in all 17 games throughout her rookie season. She tal-
lied six points for the Stags with two goals and two assists. The
Stag will return as a key player in the 2012 season with her ver-
satility and speed.
Leo's aggressiveness on the front half earned her more
and more playing time as the season progressed. Hatch came
off the bench in six games last season and displayed her
strength in her two goals. In Fairfield's games against Brown
University and University of Maine, Hatch was the only Stag to
put the ball in the back of the net.
Doggett played in 11 games in her freshman campaign.
With four other returners at her position, Doggett will continue
to fight for a starting spot and will add depth off the bench for
Fairfield's midfield.
Valerie Buurma and Felicitas Heinen round out the sopho-
more class on defense. Both of these Stags made a tremen-
dous impact in their rookie season. Heinen, the top scoring
returner, was a 2011 Longstreth All Mid-East Region Second
Team selection, a member of both the America East All-Rookie
Team and the America East Second Team. She was second on
the team last season with 16 points, breaking down to six goals
and four assists. Heinen will return as a leader both on and off
the field. Buurma started in all 17 games and was named to
the 2011 Gladiator by SGI/NFHCA Division I National Academic
Team along with one other returning player, classmate Heinen.
Nine freshmen join Fairfield’s roster for the 2012 cam-
2012 FAIRFIELD FIELD HOCKEY SCHEDULE
Date
Opponent
Time
8/24
Hofstra University
3 PM
8/26
BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY
1 PM
8/31
YALE UNIVERSITY
4:30 PM
9/2
Monmouth University
2 PM
9/7
LEHIGH UNIVERSITY
4 PM
9/9
SAINT JOSEPH’S UNIVERSITY
1 PM
9/14
St. Louis University$
1 PM
9/16
University of Michigan$
12 PM
9/20
COLLEGE OF THE HOLY CROSS
4 PM
9/23
Columbia University
1 PM
9/28
UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE* 3 PM
9/30
Brown University
12 PM
10/3
SIENA COLLEGE
3 PM
10/6
University of Maine*
1 PM
10/12
UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY*
3 PM
10/14
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
1 PM
10/20
UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT*
1 PM
10/21
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
1 AM
10/27
Boston University*
1 PM
11/3-4
America East Tournament
TBA
BOLD CAPS Indicates Home Match
* Indicates America East Opponent
$ Match played in Ann Arbor, Mich.