In the 2013 Fairfield men’s soccer season, the team put together an 8-5-3 overall record while going 5-3-2 in the MAAC Conference. Six Fairfield student-athletes were recognized for the academic achievement as members of the MAAC All-Academic team: Jordan Ayris ‘15, Matt Danaher ‘14, Sean Fahy ‘14, George Newton ‘16 , John Sullivan ‘15, and Matt Turner ‘16.
Coach Carl Rees reached a momentous point in his coaching career this season with the team: his 100th career MAAC victory. It came in a 2-1 victory over the Canisius Golden Griffins on Oct. 12. A second half goal scored by Reco McLaren ’14 clinched the win for the Stags and gave Rees a rare accomplishment in his 20th season as the men’s soccer coach.
“To record a 100 wins is very rewarding. More than the victories on the field, it represents all those players and assistant coaches along the way who have played their part in the success of our program,” Coach Rees said.
Speaking of McLaren, the forward had a very successful season in his last one here at Fairfield. He led the team in goals (eight), assists (three), points (19) and shots (41), as he started every game. He was an instrumental part of the offense this season just as he was a year ago. McLaren earned a spot on the 2013 MAAC first team because of his great stats this season. The team will surely miss his skills next year and in years to come.
Another forward that the team is sure to miss is Jon Clements ’14 from St. Albans, England. This season, Clements was second on the team in goals, with seven, and points, with 14. He started each of the 16 games for the Stags and had an important role in the team’s offense.
Another senior leaving the Stags soccer team after the 2013 campaign is midfielder Daniel Shaw ‘14 from Cheshire, England. He was the team’s third leading scorer with three goals who also started every game. Other seniors that will be leaving the team include Sean Fahy, Matt Danaher and graduate student Nuno Rodrigues ’13.
With the departures of all these seniors, it is up to the rest of the players to fill their shoes. Expect junior forward Jordan Ayris ’15 to do the majority of the work on offense next season. In this season with the Stags, he had two goals, two assists, six points, and 33 shots while starting all 16 games.
Other players who can step up on offense include midfielders Jake Zuniga ’15 and Hrvoje Glavan ’15 and forward James Taylor ’16. This season, Zuniga and Glavan each had a goal and Taylor was fourth on the team with 16 shots. These are definitely numbers each of these players can improve upon with increased roles on offense next season.
Overall, the Stags men’s soccer team scored 27 goals on 179 shot attempts this season and outscored their opponents by 20 goals. They averaged 1.69 goals scored per game and 11.2 shots per game. This has propelled them to a solid season in which they were able to clinch a MAAC Championship berth.
On the other hand, the defense for the Fairfield Stags men’s soccer team this season was very strong. They allowed just 23 goals on 159 shot attempts throughout the 2013 campaign. And, best of all, none of the defenders are seniors, so they will all be returning next season.
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