Stags Pick Up A Point Against Rider

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University Women's Soccer team earned their second result in their Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) slate as they fought the visiting Rider Broncs to an even 1-1 draw on Lessing Field. The Broncs rallied to tie the game with 31 seconds remaining after Liz Dumas opened the scoring for the Stags in the 78th minute on a penalty kick. The Fairfield (5-4-2, 0-1-2 MAAC) penalty kick was created when the Stags played the ball inside the penalty area. Off the wet surface, the ball bounced up on a Rider (5-3-2, 1-1-1 MAAC) defender hitting her hand in the process. Dumas was called upon to convert the penalty kick, which she was able to do for the second time this season. That 1-0 Fairfield advantage lasted for nearly 21 minutes, until Rider broke through and found the equalizer in the final minute of regulation. Valeria Pascuet found the ball at the top of the box and sent a low shot past the Fairfield goalkeeper to tie the match at 1-1, which would be the final score. The 1-1 final score is indicative of how closely the match was played with both sides creating chances. Rider was credited with just two more shots than the Stags, both of those coming in the second overtime period. Fairfield collected 10 of their 18 shots in the first half, nearly finding the back of the net on a few occasions. In the 19th minute, Alex Madden broke free of her defender and fired a shot towards the upper right side of the goal, but her shot attempt sailed over the crossbar. Dumas came within a few feet of giving the Stags the lead early on in the second half as her shot attempt was destined towards the bottom right of the net. However, Rider's Carmen Carbonell made a nice diving save to her right, one of her four stops on the evening. Brooke Hernon, who was a difference maker in the midfield for the Stags, nearly ended the match early in the first overtime, but her shot nailed off the crossbar. The Stags exhibited their most dominant stretch of the match to open up the second half, collecting four of the first five shots of the half, but could not fully capitalize. The Stags also limited Rider to one attempt in the first 26 minutes of the period. Dumas led the team with eight shots while Rider's Kourtney Cunningham was the biggest playmaker for the Broncs, finishing with nine attempts, five of those on target. Fairfield extends their home unbeaten streak to four games to open up the season, and is now unbeaten in their 11 matches against the Broncs at home in their program history. However, this is the first result for Rider on Lessing Field. The Stags will return to their home pitch next Wednesday, Oct. 3 against Siena at 7pm.