FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Host Fairfield (1-0) netted goals in the eighth minute of each half to defeat visiting Binghamton women's soccer (0-1) 2-0 Thursday afternoon at Lessing Field.

In a battle of reigning regular season champions, the MAAC frontrunner Stags had the edge in shots and conversions over the America East favorite Bearcats. 

Just 7:18 into the contest, Fairfield cashed in on a 22-yard bullet to the lower left corner. The Stags held an 11-3 shots advantage in the first half and if not for several stops by junior keeper Kaitlyn Williams, might've extended their lead.

Binghamton sharpened its play in the second half but not before the hosts converted another early-period goal. In the 53rd minute, Fairfield broke down the right side and the ensuing cross was tapping in on the doorstep for a 2-0 cushion.

"It was a tough match ... give credit to Fairfield," head coach Neel Bhattacharjee said. "We wanted to play a demanding schedule with games like today and while it's never nice to take a loss, there were positive takeaways. The breakdowns we had will be things we will learn from. Our possession was quality at times but we can be better in moments of transition. We look forward to putting on a more consistent performance on Sunday."

The Bearcats had two excellent opportunities in a four-minute span to get back into the game. In the 63rd minute, graduate midfielders Olivia McKnight and Victoria McKnight traded passes before Olivia layed off a ball inside the box for sophomore back Allison Falvo. But Falvo's strike from 12 yards sailed over the bar. In the 67th minute, senior midfielder Molly McClelland dribbled 30+ yards down the right side before splitting two defenders with a breakaway ball to a rushing Samiya Reid. But the sophomore forward's bid for a near-post goal was blocked inside seven yards.

Wiliams made several second-half stops and was credited with seven saves, not including an additional 3-4 dangerous threats that she aggressively cut off and smothered. In the 70th minute, Williams covered a would-be goal on the doorstep with a diving deflection and then popped up to get a hand on the rebound blast from close range. That final ball was ultimately cleared off the line by graduate defender Grace Vittoria, who logged a full 90 minutes in her return to the field after missing the entire 2022 season with injury. 

Binghamton produced seven shots in the second half and wound up with six corners for the game.

The Bearcats host Canisius at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Sports Complex with free admission to all fans.