FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The battle for first place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) soccer standings come to light on Saturday night at 7 pm when the Fairfield University men's soccer team hosts Iona College for a slight edge for the regular-season championship. The Stags enter the game with a 5-0-1 conference record while the Gaels are right behind with a 5-1-0 MAAC mark.

                Fairfield built on its seven-game unbeaten streak last weekend with road wins against Siena and Marist, giving the team a 6-0-1 slate over that stretch. The team has not lost to a conference opponent on the road (4-0-0), and remains the only team in the MAAC with an unbeaten record in conference play.

                The Gaels have been regulars in the national rankings for most of the season, checking into Saturday's game ranked 19^th. Iona reached as high as 16^th in the rankings before a loss to Siena on October 16. But, the team fired right back with a 2-1 overtime victory against Army on Wednesday, the team's third overtime win of the season.

                Iona brings a potent offense to Lessing Field, averaging better than two goals per game. Franklin Castellanos is the team's top play maker with a team-high 11 assists as well as with a team-best 17 total points. Ansger Otto ranks first among his teammates with seven goals, representing nearly all of his 15 points. Ignacio Maganto (six goals, three assists) and Samuel Adjei (four goals, seven assists) have also accumulated 15 points on the season.

                Goalkeeper Borja Barbero has performed well in the Iona net, sporting a 1.09 goals against average with a .742 save percentage. He has played all but 59 minutes this season and has started all 15 outings this year. The freshman secured three shutouts to date with his most recent one coming against Adelphi on September 21.

                Fairfield has also found its offensive stride over the last few weeks. After scoring five goals in the first five games of 2011, the Stags have netted 14 goals over its present seven-game unbeaten streak. The team has tallied two or more goals in six of its last seven games, including a 2-1 win against Marist in the last outing.

                Freshman Jordan Ayris has been a big boost to the Stags attack, leading the team with seven goals and three assists for 17 points. He entered the week as the number two scorer in the MAAC with 1.54 points per game.  Ayris has a rookie and a player of the week award to his credit this season. Graduate student Jack Burridge has also been a big part of the offensive resurgence, tallying three goals and a team-best four assists for 10 points.

                Goalkeeper Michael O'Keeffe has done an outstanding job of keeping the opposition in check, bringing a 1.48 goals against average with a .707 save percentage into Saturday's game. He has posted 41 saves in 11 games and registered two shutouts in his 11 starts this year.

                Following the Iona game, the Stags will finish up the regular season next weekend when they host Manhattan College on October 28 and Saint Peter's College on October 30. Both games will be played at Lessing Field.