Preseason Scrimmage vs. Coast Guard Academy
Saturday September 6, 2025
Fairfield 33 - 14 Coast Guard

This past Saturday, Mother Nature wasn't the only one bringing the heat - Fairfield Women's Rugby started the fall season with absolute fire. Coming off a strong preseason, Fairfield showcased their skills with a sweeping victory against Coast Guard.
The match opened proceedings with a beautiful boot from Molly Muller '27, sending the Stags deep down in an early bid to regain possession. After maintaining a solid defense for several sequences, Coast Guard was able to sneak in and score first. But following some words of wisdom from captain Laura Garofalo '26, the Stags returned to the field ready to retaliate. Off of a scrum, Olivia Draper '28 was able to zip past the defense to put Fairfield on the board. Muller nailed the conversion, tying the score at 7-7.
With a new sense of momentum, the Stags started heating up (literally). Explosive runs from Hailey Fales '27 drove Fairfield into scoring position, allowing Jacqueline O'Connor '27 to score the next try for Fairfield. Grace Eberl '28, seemingly not tired from delivering bone-crunching tackles, followed in suit with another score to stretch the lead. With the score at 21-7, Fairfield headed into halftime beaming with confidence.
Determined to not let Coast Guard narrow the gap, the Stags returned from the break ready to rumble. Strong runs from Danielle Cannizarro '26 and Ava Hiel '26 set the stage for forceful Jill Koppy '28 to showcase her fancy footwork as she crossed into the try for another score. Though Coast Guard managed to slip past the Fairfield defense and put up one more score, a blocked kick from Tia Stanton '26 sparked a key possession from the fearless Izzy Antonetti '28. And with a gorgeous pass from Koppy, Ava Hockman '27 was able to bulldoze her way through the defense to score the fifth try for Fairfield.
With only a few minutes remaining, freshmen Lily Tullis '29 and Kiana O'Sullivan '29, took the field and kept the pressure on. Draper continued to dominate the pitch, while Antonetti's lights-out tackling shut down any hope that Coast Guard had on offense. In the final sequence, Koppy swung the ball wide to O'Sullivan, who closed the match with a try.

Final score: Fairfield 33, Coast Guard 14. A resounding victory and a fantastic start to a season that can only be described as "All Gas, No Brakes!"