Did your parents push you hard to compete in sports?

My parents never pushed me to play sports. It was always my decision to play, but they always supported me in whatever I wanted to do. They are the type of parents that everyone wanted to have. They were at every one of my games and were there for me through the good and the bad. They gave up a lot over the years to drive me all over the place. There were times when I was playing on three or four different teams and they never complained. I know without them I wouldn’t be where I am today.

How long have you been playing soccer competitively?

I started playing soccer when I was four or five. Ever since I was little it was my first love. I started to become real serious about it probably when I started playing on the Pennsylvania state team when I was 12 or 13. Did you play any other sports when you were younger? I used to swim and play basketball. I played basketball in high school. I also did gymnastics until I was five or six but quit because it was at the same time as soccer.

How did you become a goalkeeper instead of a striker or defensive player?

I use to play a half in the goal and a half on the field when I was younger. I was one of the few that volunteered to play in the goal. I think I liked it at first because I got to get dirty. Then I made the state team as a keeper and started to concentrate on it more. I still love playing on the field but playing keeper is my love. You can win or lose a game by making or not making a save and that’s what I love about the position.

Why did you choose to come to Fairfield? Fairfield had everything I was looking for in a school. Academically it was strong and they had a great soccer program. I knew I would be challenged in the classroom and on the soccer field. I fell in love with the school on my official visit. I really liked the soccer girls and how they were. After my visit I knew Fairfield was the right place for me.

How did you feel when you got the starting goalkeeping job your freshman year?

There really is no word to describe how I felt. I was excited and nervous all at the same time. I knew I had some big shoes to fill because there had been some great keepers before me. I wanted to live up to that level of play.

What are your goals for this year and for the next two?

I want a ring. (When you win MAAC championship you get a ring.) I want to help my team anyway possible to reach our ultimate goal to win the MAAC championship. All of us except the freshmen have been to a MAAC tournament and have left it with a bitter taste in our mouth. I want to help my team get back there and leave this time with a ring.

When was the last time you heard a Fairfield athlete turn down an alcoholic beverage? Chances are, not recently.

However, if you offered a drink to a Fairfield athlete 24 hours before a competition, the answer is most likely no thanks.

All athletes at Fairfield are required to abide by the 24-hour rule. According to the 2003-2004 Student-Athlete handbook, consuming alcohol 24 hours before any competition is prohibited. Consuming alcohol at any team related function before or after competition is also prohibited.

Violators of these policies are warned and can be suspended from games and practices. If the individual continues to violate these rules, extreme measures can be taken including suspension from varsity athletics, cancellations of grants and scholarships, and additional counseling.

Like other students here at Fairfield, athletes venture to the beach and townhouses. You can find them anywhere from townhouses parties, the naut or the Grape.

Like most students at Fairfield, varsity soccer player Taylor Warwick ’07 enjoys going to the beach.

“The beach is a great positive environment for gathering and the occasional co-ed confrontation, and I sometimes go there with my friends,” he said.

The coaches at Fairfield have realistic expectations and policies that most athletes do not find difficult to follow.

“Our policies are very clear. Although cross-country does not have a dry season, the 24-hour rule is very strictly enforced. Any violators are kicked off the team,” said men’s and women’s cross-country coach Andrew Harrington.

Just two years ago, a female cross-country runner violated her team’s drinking policy and was kicked off the team. Last year on a team Spring Break trip, two men’s tennis players were stripped from their captainships because they were caught drinking.

Some teams, such as men’s golf and women’s volleyball, have a dry season.

“Our coach doesn’t think drinking is appropriate during season, and he is pretty strict about it,” said golf team member Dan Quatorcelli ’07.

Some coaches enforce a dry season while other like men’s lacrosse coach Ted Spencer strongly encourages his team not to drink at all during its spring season.

“I believe my players work so hard for 20 hours a week, and alcohol only inhibits maximum performance the players are capable of,” said Spencer.

Overall, most athletes seem to be compliant to the 24 hour rule.

“I’m sure some of the players go out before a game. I don’t because I personally think it effects my play,” said field hockey player Kiara Nickl ’04.

As the final seconds of Saturday night’s soccer game at Lessing Field ticked down, a sense of frustration seemed to travel from the field up into the stands.

The visiting Richmond Spiders scored to seal up a 2-0 victory over host Fairfield, dropping the Stags to 1-3-1 on the season, including a 0-3-0 mark at home. A cast of percussionists who had made drums out of empty buckets in an attempt to assist the Stags on home win number one headed silently back to their dorms. Another dissapointing loss to add to the record books.

The frustration of tallying only five goals in the first five games is accompanied by some optimism.

While head coach Carl Rees would like to see some more offense he is pleased with the large and talented freshmen class, especially offensive stars Mike Troy and Alex Cunliffe.

Troy, who played his high school soccer less than an hour down the road in Newtown, Connecticut, and Cunliffe, who last year spent time with England’s under 18-year-old national team, have combined for seven of the Stags’ nine points (goals and assists) .

Rees describes Troy as combing “cutting edge instinct with power and speed,” He has been a bright spot in an otherwise silent offense, and has scored four of the team’s five goals, three of which were assisted by Cunliffe, a fullback/midfielder who shares with Troy a close bond both on and off the field.

The two collegiate newcomers meshed right away during pre-season workouts, and decided to alter their housing plans so that they could live together. ” I was just getting along with him so well during the pre-season,” said Cunliffe. ” I just phoned the guy [that Troy was slated to live with] and asked him to switch.” They share a brotherly bond that not every set of cross-Atlantic college students has. And even for close friends, their on the field bond is something special.

“The thing about Alex is that he has such good field vision,” said Troy. “He’s so good at finding the open guy.” Speaking modestly about the aforementioned field vision, Cunliffe says he can find Troy easily because he is “a big lad [listed at 6'0" and a solid 200 lbs].” Cunliffe also added a statement that speaks volumes about Troy’s ability.

“He’s the main target,” Cuniffe said.

That, of course, is something that cannot be said about most rookies, and is one of the reasons Troy was named the MAAC rookie of the week, the very first week of his collegiate career. With the majority of the 2003 schedule yet to be played, the two are sure to both be amongst the candidates for the conference Rookie of the Year title.

Foot Notes

During Saturday’s game, another pair of freshmen roommates stepped into the soccer spotlight. Robbie Gallina and Mike Calabrese each made their first collegiate starts. Calabrese got off two shots including a mid-second half header that very nearly tied the game at one.

Fellow freshman Taylor Warwick made his collegiate debut in the Stags’ 2-1 home loss to Boston University. He had missed the season’s first two games due to off-season knee surgery.

All three of this year’s losses have come at Lessing on Saturday nights. Fortunately, the Richmond game was the last Saturday home game of the season. The non-Saturday home schedule begins tomorrow night, when the Stags host MAAC rival Manhattan (at the time of publishing).

The women’s volleyball team may be off to a slow start this year in non-conference play, but the team’s record is no indication of how the team will fare in the MAAC.

So far this year, the team’s record is 2-10 but the team has not played one conference match yet. According to the players and coach Jeff Werneke, the record does not reflect the team’s talent and ability.

“I don’t look at success based on records, I base it on efforts physically and mentally. My expectations have always been to improve from week to week. This team has stepped up to the plate and will continue to develop its own identity,” said Werneke.

This year, coach Werneke scheduled tough matches with non-MAAC teams including University of Connecticut, Seton Hall, and Army in the beginning of the year to prepare the team for when conference matches begin. The Stags’ first conference match is on Oct. 8 at home against Marist.

According to players, playing teams that are stronger than them have helped them improve and start to prepare for conference matches.

“Our coach scheduled tough matches in the beginning of the season so we can prepare for the MAAC. When MAAC matches start, we will definitely be good to go,” said Kristen Anderson ’04.

This year the program was fortunate enough to return four out of the six players from last year. However, this year the team has suffered from many injuries which have forced people to play new positions.

“We have used four different line-ups already this season due to injuries,” said Coach Werneke. “The sacrifices these players have made individually is quite amazing as they have had to give up their individual positions. I am very proud of how these players have handled all of these obstacles so far this season.”

The players have also seen the challeges this year’s sqaud has been faced with.

“We are fighting different obstacles day in and day out, but I believe we will come out on top,” said Kelly Sorenson ’04.

“The obstacles only make us stronger. We are battling different injuries and constantly changing lineups,” she said.

Anderson also agreed that the team will be stronger once injured players can compete.

“So far this year, our team has been plagued with a lot of injuries,” Anderson said.

“I was out for seven games. Casey Machon was out with a broken finger, and Sorenson was out due to surgery. Because we had so many injuries, people had to play new positions. We will be better once players return,” she added.

This year, the team aims to win the program’s seventh MAAC Championship and receive an automatic bid to the NCAAs. Last year, the Stags shared the MAAC regular season title with a record of 8-1, but the team finished third in the MAAC Tournament.

Coach Werneke believes his team this year has a good chance of winning the MAAC.

“I have stated from day one that with this team I believe we can win the MAAC regular season and the MAAC Tournament,” he said.

“This particular team has the opportunity to become the first team in Fairfield history to win a NCAA Tournament competition,” he said.

Players this year have already received honors for their efforts and talents. Keri Kaiser ’07 was named MAAC Co-Rookie of the Week this past week, and Anderson was named to the Albany Challenge All-Tournament.

This weekend, the Stags will travel to California for the San Diego Tournament where they will be playing two top 25 teams.

“This weekend will be the toughest weekend of the year,” he said. “San Diego is ranked twenty-first in the nation and Loyola Marymont is ranked twenty-fourth in the nation.”