Christian Uy '10 will finish his Fairfield career on Sunday along with four other seniors. (Peter Caty/The Mirror)
With two regular season games remaining, the men’s soccer team is facing a crucial weekend. The Stags are currently 4-1-2 in the MAAC, putting them in third place, and will play Niagara, the fourth seed team on Friday night. With a victory, the Stags will all but clinch a spot in the four-team MAAC tournament, which will be played from Nov. 13-15 at Fairfield.
This past weekend, Fairfield moved closer to sealing a spot in the tournament it will host by defeating Rider 5-0 and tying Loyola 0-0, both on the road. The Stags have now outscored opponents 13-1 over their past four games. Freshman goalkeeper Michael O’Keeffe did not allow a goal in 155 minutes of work this weekend, making 10 saves and earning the Co-MAAC Rookie of the Week Award, the second time he has won it this season.
“The team is playing with confidence and purpose,” Head Coach Carl Rees said. “Defensively, we have been solid. Our collective defensive shape has been good and our individual defending has improved as the season has progressed. This has provided a platform for us to attack. We are getting great service from the wide areas and Jack Burridge and Eric “the wardrobe” Ilisije have been finishing chances well.”
The four-game winning streak and dominant late-season performance brings back memories of last season’s three-game run, during which the Stags outscored opponents 10-0 en route to a surprise playoff berth and eventual MAAC championship. But Rees said that it is too early to compare the two squads.
“Our goal is to improve throughout the year so it makes sense that we should be playing our best soccer at this time,” Rees said. “We went on a good run at this point last season but comparisons to that team would be premature. We still have to clinch a spot in the playoffs.”
On Friday, the Stags defeated Rider (4-11, 1-6 MAAC) in Lawrenceville, N.J. 5-1. Ilisije (in photo above) scored two goals, with Jack Burridge, Nuno Rodrigues and Shane Kurtz each also providing a goal. On Sunday, Fairfield traveled down to Loyola (8-6-3, 5-0-2 MAAC) and shut down the Greyhounds through two overtimes for an important tie.
After the weekend, the Stags are averaging 5.07 goals per game, the most in the MAAC and O’Keeffe has a 1.14 goals against average, the fourth best in the conference.
Peter Caty/The Mirror
This weekend Fairfield will face Niagara (6-8-2, 4-2-1 MAAC) on Friday night at Lessing Field. A victory would all but clinch a spot in the tournament and Rees hopes a strong turnout from students and fans can help motivate his team.
“The crowd at Lessing Field has a reputation within our league for being vocal,” Rees said. “It is a huge advantage to be supported during competition and I think we have the best support in the MAAC. The students give our guys a big boost and can unsettle our opponent.”
On Sunday, Fairfield will celebrate its senior day and face Canisius (5-10-2, 4-3 MAAC). Four Stags will play their final regular season home games at Lessing Field: forward Christian Uy, midfielder Kwadwo Asante, defender Charlie Grover and goalkeeper Matt Cleveland. Uy has two goals and eight points this season and has 16 career goals, sixth most in school history. Asante has made eight appearances this season, with two assists. Cleveland has come on in relief of O’Keeffe twice this year. While Uy has had the most prolific career at Fairfield, Rees said the other seniors have also played in an important role.
As a class, the four seniors have won a MAAC Regular Season title, two MAAC Championships and made two trips to the NCAA tournament.
“It will be sad to see the Seniors move on. We will miss their soccer talent but more so we will miss the their presence and personality. All three have been a credit to our program and the University,” said Rees. know all three will be trying their best to win another MAAC Championship to make it three in four years. Kojo [Asante], Matt and Chris have left their mark on our program and we are all very grateful for their hard work and dedication.”
Rees hopes that the Stags can make a similar run as last year.
“I have really enjoyed working with the team this season,” he said. “It is a tight knit squad. Assistant Coaches Phil Murray and Justin Burse have done a great job behind the scenes in training and scouting opponents. I would be delighted to see our group reach the playoffs and give us a shot at a championship.”
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