On a night when seniors on the men’s soccer team were honored for their accomplishments, it was two freshmen who played the pivotal roles in the victory over the Iona Gaels Saturday night at Lessing Field.
In the 98th minute, with the game in overtime and the scored tied at zero, forward Matthew Uy ’11 was taken down hard as he hustled to get control of the ball about 20 yards away from the goal. Head Coach Carl Rees called upon defender Tucker Nathans ’11 to take the free kick and shouted from the sideline, “Shoot Tucker!”
Nathans shot and the ball sailed into the right corner of the net and past the Gaels’ goalkeeper Nils Binstock to give Fairfield the 1-0 victory.
The Stags (10-5-2 overall, 5-3-1 MAAC) moved into third place with the victory in their last game of the season before the MAAC tournament, which will be played Nov. 14-18 at the Wide World of Sports Complex in Disney World.
“We need to keep improving and hopefully get a little more healthy before the tournament,” said Rees. “We are far from the complete picture. We just want to give it our best shot at this.”
Fairfield played again without four starters: Tom Skara ’08, Tom Clements ’09, J.P. Francini ’08 and David Piedrahita ’10, all key defensive players.
Despite the injuries, the Stags’ tough defense returned to its usual form, bouncing back from the 4-0 loss to Marist and shutting out Iona. Freshman Jordan Bar made his first start in goal and earned his first career shutout.
“Injuries have been a factor, but it would be unfair to the rest of our players if I said we couldn’t cope with that,” said Rees. “We are 10-5-2, we played the toughest out-of-conference schedule in the MAAC and we are in there. It’s different, but we are giving ourselves a chance.”
Prior to the game, Fairfield honored one of the most accomplished classes in school history with its senior night ceremony. The players were escorted onto the field by their parents and received a framed soccer ball and flowers.
Seniors Sam Bailey, Steve Desmond, Mike Vanasse, Francini and Skara all walked onto Lessing Field for the final time in their careers, unless they return home for a NCAA tournament game. Bailey, Desmond and Vanasse all played, while Francini and Skara were forced to sit out with injuries.
The class of 2008 has recorded 45 wins together, including two of the biggest in school history – a MAAC Championship win over St. Peter’s and then a win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament over UConn, both last season.
“I am delighted to see them get a win in their final game at home,” said Rees. “I have a deep feeling for them. They gave me my proudest moment in my coaching career, and we will be forever connected because of that.
“I really want the best for them, we want to make the best out of this opportunity; it is a real privilege to do this. I am real proud of them.”
Francini, who is still recovering from a broken hand, which he suffered earlier this season, was on the sidelines, but no longer in a cast.
He sat on the bench his first two seasons at Fairfield, learning from one of the Stags’ all-time great goalkeepers, Andrew Frankel ’05, before making his mark in the 2006 season. Francini led the Stags to 15 wins, a school record.
He posted a MAAC-best: 0.80 goals against average. He also earned a spot on the All-MAAC First Team last season. The Oakland, N.J., native and Don Bosco Prep graduate played in nine games this season before breaking his hand. He had 0.92 goals against average at the time of his injury, ranking among the best in the MAAC again.
Skara was also unable to play on senior night, but will be remembered as one of the best defenders in school history. He has anchored a defense that has been among the MAAC best in goals against average the past two seasons; Skara earned Defensive Player of the Year honors last year.
Vanasse came into the game off the bench in the second half to play for the second time this season. The 6’2″ midfielder from Naugatuck, Conn., played in 28 games over his career, including both of the NCAA tournament games as a reserve, recording two points in his career.
Desmond, a 5’11” midfielder from New Providence, N.J., made his eighth start in his 16th game of the season, the 62nd game of his career. In his junior season, Desmond had his best year as a Stag, recording six points, two goals and two assists. He started 15 games, including all four in the post-season.
Bailey started for the 72nd consecutive game, dating back to his freshman season. He only missed one career game, the final game of the 2004 season. He sits as the all-time goals and points scorer in Fairfield history, with 23 goals and 61 points. He also ranks second in career assists with 16.
“It feels great to leave with a win,” said Bailey. “We didn’t want to walk off without a win, but the season isn’t over.”
“We have 10 days to put our heads down and work the hardest we can,” he added. “It’s like preseason number two; we want to go down there and show them what we are made of. We did it last year, and we can do it again.”
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