Box Score FAIRFIELD, Conn. – At this time of year, defense is at a premium as teams are trying to find the right combinations in the offensive third. Newcomers and veterans are struggling to find the right timing to create opportunity which gives the defense a considerable advantage.
It's at that point when coaches play with the lineup to try and find a crack in the opponent's defensive third. And in the case of Head Coach Carl Rees, he made all the right moves as the Fairfield University men's soccer team posted a 1-0 win over Yale University in the Stags' home opener at Lessing Field.
“We made about four or five changes in the lineup following halftime,” Rees said. “We wanted to create more opportunity so we moved Ben (Wignall) back and pushed Jake (Zuniga) up front. That enabled us to find Ben easier and present him with more offensive opportunity.”
Moving Wignall yielded the freshman open space up front, allowing him to use his skill to open play. With Yale coming out to defend, Fairfield was able to move forward. Off that opportunity, Jordan Ayris broke free deep on the right side of the box. The forward tried to send the ball into the center of the box, but it was blocked. The ball landed at Ayris' feet, giving him a second chance.
This time, the senior delivered by sending a ball to the center of the penalty area, hitting Wignall in stride. The freshman promptly pushed the ball to the far left corner and found the back of the net for a 1-0 Fairfield lead.
Yale provided some excitement during the second half as well, including a prime chance one minute into the second half. Avery Schwartz came off the bench as part of a Yale halftime adjustment and nearly gave the Bulldogs the lead. A ball was played into the box which bounced onto the foot of Schwartz who volleyed a shot that just went over the crossbar.
He also had another opportunity in the 59th minute when he redirected the ball with a header that forced Fairfield goalkeeper Matt Turner to fully extend and push the ball away beyond the left post to keep the Stags in front at 1-0. Anytime Yale tried to send a ball into the box, Turner was able to mark his territory by cradling those crosses. He made five saves in the game, giving the junior his third shutout in four appearances. He has allowed just one goal in 380 minutes of work. Turner entered the game tied for 17th in the nation with a 0.31 goals against average.
Yale owned a 10-9 edge in shot, including a 7-2 advantage in the second half.
The Stags will have a week off before their next scheduled match, a September 19 road meeting with the University of Massachusetts. Game time is slated for 3 pm.
