WEST POINT, N.Y. – There were a lot of firsts for the Fairfield University men's soccer team on Friday night. The Stags opened the 2014 season with a 1-0 win over Army on the road, which was the first time in nine tries that Fairfield defeated the Black Knights. The decision also provided goalkeeper Matt Turner with a shutout in his first start of his Fairfield career. And, Ben Whitcomb netted his first game-winning goal as a Stag.

                “It's a difficult place to pick up a win, but the team really wanted to win this game,” Head Coach Carl Rees said. “It was a good mental effort and the team got what they deserved based on their efforts tonight.”

                Fairfield had several opportunities to get on the board in the first half, but those chances ended in misfortune for the visiting team. The Stags hit the cross bar twice in a 10-minute span and had another shot cleared off the line by an Army defender to keep the game scoreless.

                But that frustration was quickly lifted with a stellar play from Whitcomb. Strong pressure from Fairfield forced Army to lose control of the ball around midfield. Whitcomb secured the ball just over midfield and aggressively took on the Knights' back four. He beat the Army defense and ended up one-on-one with goalkeeper Winston Boldt. Whitcomb finished the play by curling a shot into the upper corner to secure the game's only goal.

                Army picked up the pace in the second half and outshot Fairfield by a 9-2 count, but Turner was able to keep the Knights off the scoreboard.

                “Through ball possession and good shape, we were able to take control of the first half,” Rees said. “We went through a barrage in the second half, but we were resilient.”

                Turner turned away seven shots in the game to record his first clean sheet as the junior faced 14 shots over the 90 minutes. He registered four saves in the first 45 minutes and added three more stops in the second half.

                Fairfield will return to action next weekend when it participates in the two-game tournament hosted by Hartwick College. The Stags open play with a match against the host on Friday night before playing New Hampshire on Sunday afternoon. Fairfield plays its first home game of 2014 on September 12 when it hosts Yale University at Lessing Field. Fans can purchase tickets to every Fairfield men's soccer game online.  Tickets for every home game are $7 for adults and $5 for youth and seniors.