FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Fairfield University men's soccer team will host the 2009 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament on Friday and Sunday.

The third-seeded Stags host second-seeded Loyola University at 4 pm. Top-seeded Iona College takes on fourth-seeded Niagara University at 7 pm. The two semifinal winners will face each other on Sunday, November 15 at noon, a game which will be televised live on ESPNU.

Fairfield looks to defend its MAAC championship crown, which it won with a 1-0 decision over Loyola last year. Christian Uy was named the 2008 MAAC tournament most valuable player in leading the Stags to their third MAAC title and second NCAA tournament berth.

The Stags posted a 9-6-2 overall record and a 5-2-2 MAAC mark in the regular season, including an 0-2-1 mark against the tournament field. Fairfield tied Loyola on the road earlier in a 0-0 decision. The team lost to Iona (2-0) and Niagara (3-0) at home. Although the Stags did not score against these teams, they have shown their offensive prowess throughout the season. Head Coach Carl Rees watched his team score 28 goals in 17 games, leading the MAAC with 1.65 goals per game. The Stags were also the top team for points per game with 82 points in 17 outings.

Jack Burridge registered a team-high 20 points during the regular season, netting eight goals and four assists. He also recorded four game-winning goals, one of five student athletes to have a game-winning goal this year. Erik Ilisije places second among his teammates with 12 points off six goals, all of which came against MAAC opponents.

Fairfield goalkeeper Michael O'Keeffe, a two-time MAAC Rookie of the Week, owned a 1.19 goals against average overall and a 0.81 goals against average in MAAC play. He tallied 74 assists in 17 games, an average of 4.3 saves per outing. He also earned four shutouts.

2009 MAAC Tournament Pairings
Lessing Field - Fairfield, Conn.

November 13
Game 1 - Fairfield vs. Loyola - 4 pm
Game 2 - Iona vs. Niagara - 7 pm

November 15
Championship Game - Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner - Noon