Oct. 19, 2006
FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- Don't think Fairfield University men's soccer coach Carl Rees is ungrateful. He is truly appreciative of the fact that the team sits atop the MAAC standings with a 5-0 record. And, he is thankful for the team's number one rating in the North Atlantic region as well as the number 15 ranking in the national poll. But deep down, Coach Rees and his lads realize that all of the pre-season and in-season accolades are meaningless without a spot in the upcoming Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament in three weeks.
The Stags can take major strides toward that goal of earning a berth to the conference tourney with solid play this weekend, as they host second-place Loyola College on Friday night (7 pm), followed by a Sunday afternoon game (1 pm) with Rider University. With a pair of wins, Fairfield would lock up a tournament berth and pretty much assure themselves of the top-seed in the November tournament.
Fairfield brings a 15-game regular-season conference unbeaten streak (14-0-1) into this weekend's action, dating back to the 2004 season. However, the Stags know that both Loyola and Rider will be ready for them.
The Greyhounds started the year with an 0-5-1 mark, but have since rebounded with five wins in their last seven starts. The team has a 4-1 MAAC mark, the loss coming to Niagara by a 1-0 count. Loyola's only other loss over the seven-game stretch was against #3 Maryland, a 1-0 decision on the road.
Omar Alfonso leads the team in scoring with 18 points, netting six goals and six assists, while Jamie Darvill places second with 12 points (five goals, two assists). Darvill earned the MAAC rookie of the week award on October 16 after leading the Greyhounds to a pair of wins. Goalkeeper Justin Chelland received the MAAC defensive player of the week by posting two shutouts against Siena and Marist.
Rider comes off a 0-0 tie against Siena in its last outing, a game in which Dan Riverso tallied five saves to keep the game scoreles. Mike Juska leads the Rider offense with 13 total points, netting a team-high six goals. Dylan Matlack is next on the scoring list with five points, registering two goals and an assist. Riverso has played all but 24 minutes this season, posting a 2.22 goals against average with 35 saves.
Prior to the Rider game, the Fairfield University community will celebrate the careers of five senior student-athletes who will play their final regular-season home game. The ceremony will start at 1 pm with the game directly following the ceremony.
