Box Score

               FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Jack Burridge scored the tying goal with 49 seconds remaining in regulation as the Fairfield University men's soccer team rallied for a 3-3 tie with Niagara University at Lessing Field. Burridge, who scored a tying goal with 52 seconds remaining against Rider a week ago, also had an assist on the team's first goal.
 
                The Stags scored a pair of goals in the opening 20 minutes, beginning with Jordan Ayris' goal just eight minutes into the contest. He took a pass from Burridge inside the box and released a shot from 12 yards away that beat Niagara goalkeeper Brett Petricek for a 1-0 lead. Burridge netted the team's second goal of the game nine minutes later when he headed a pass from Ayris to double the Stags advantage. Ryan Perkins started the scoring play with a cross from the far side of the box.
 
                Niagara managed to put a goal on the board before halftime after Nick Garcia sent a ball to the middle of the box which Kyle Moraldo redirected with his head to tie the score at 1-1. The Purple Eagles tied the score just three minutes into the second half courtesy of Mike Pass' shot that caught the far corner. Callum Willmott set up the play when he put a pass to the far side of the box which Pass controlled and tucked inside the post.
 
                Niagara looked as though it would win the game when Ben Thorne tallied the team's third straight goal with six minutes remaining in regulation as Kyle Moraldo set up Ben Thorne with a pass to the far post. Thorne pushed a shot past Fairfield goalkeeper Michael O'Keeffe to complete what looked like a credible comeback.
 
                However, the Stags have made a routine of scoring late in the game and this afternoon was not any different. Last weekend, the Stags scored with under a minute remaining to tie the score against Rider, a game which they would eventually win overtime. On Friday night, the team scored the tying goal with two minutes left in regulation before winning it in the second overtime. And today, Jack Burridge's header off a pass from Jordan Ayris knotted the score at 3-3 with under a minute remaining.
 
                Both teams had opportunities in the second half with Niagara registering three shots in overtime, while Fairfield posted a pair of shots in the extra 20 minutes.
 
                “Overall, it was a gutsy performance on a blistering hot day,” Head Coach Carl Rees said after the game. “I was disappointed that we had a two goal lead get away from us. But the positive is that the result shows the spirit of this group. I think the fact that we are disappointed with the draw is indicative of the standard of winning we have here.”

    The men's soccer team will take to the road for its next two games when it heads to Siena on October 14 and Marist on October 16.