FAIRFIELD, Conn. – This is the way he had imagined it. While growing up, freshman
Gordon Botterill would lie in bed at night and see himself making one breathtaking save after another and leading his team to victory. Tonight, it happened just that way.
"This is the type of game that I always thought about at night, only it was a World Cup game or a Champions League game," Botterill said. "Tonight it was a MAAC game but I am still just as happy for this result. I don't think I ever had a game like this before tonight, especially with the significance this game had for the team."
The significance simply put was the top-seeded Fairfield University men's soccer team played fifth-seeded Quinnipiac University to a scoreless draw at Lessing Field in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament semifinal game this evening. But the Stags advanced to the MAAC Tournament championship game on penalty kicks, outscoring the Bobcats by a 3-2 margin. The Stags will host Rider University on Sunday night at 5 pm with the winner claiming the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.
Fairfield's advancement came after Botterill made two saves in overtime that kept the game scoreless and added three more stops when the game went to penalty kicks.
In the first overtime, Quinnipiac's Rashawn Daily sent a header that had every right to catch the top corner. But Botterill extended fully and miraculously got his hand on the shot and sent it wide of the far post to keep the game scoreless. He was also tested in the second overtime when Shaquille Huggins went toward the goal and released a shot that seemed destined for the upper corner, but once again Botterill was able to get his hand on the ball and deflect it away from the goal.
"On those saves, I was just trying to control my body because as Coach (Javier) DeCima always says goalkeeping is just body mechanics. You just need to stay calm and connect that to your mind and make sure that the ball does not go past you. On the header, I thought it was going to get past me and I was going to be beating myself up because I could have saved it. But it shows the progress I have made this season on the fact that it did not get past me."
With the game scoreless after 110 minutes, the two teams knew that the game would be decided on penalty kicks and began to focus on that phase of the game.
Diego Casielles and
Matt McGlinchey wrapped successful penalty kicks around Quinnipiac's Conor McCoy made shot, giving Fairfield a 2-1 lead. James Doig tried to tie the series but Botterill made a diving save that presented the Stags with the advantage.
Both teams missed the third attempt with Botterill making another save off an attempt by Matthew Taylor. After
Jonathan Uy put Fairfield ahead 3-1 with his successful penalty kick, the Bobcats' Oscar Evans needed to convert his attempt or the match was over. The defender kept his team alive by going left side, making it 3-2 in Fairfield's favor. The Stags missed their fifth attempt which gave Quinnipiac a chance to tie it.
Simon Hillinger stepped to the spot and went low right side, the same spot to where Botterill dove and deflected the shot to end the match.
"It was a remarkable experience with big saves at big times," Head Coach
Carl Rees said. "It's elite athletes in big situations getting the job done and tonight it was
Gordon Botterill. I think he has developed beyond the physical tools he brought with him at the start of the year. But I think what you saw tonight was a culmination of Javi DeCima's work with him. For me, Javi is the best goalkeeper coach in the country because the goalkeepers he has produced from his conveyor belt over his years with the program are second to none."
While Botterill made critical saves late in the game, the first half and most of the second half were almost mundane for the goalkeeper as Fairfield's back four of
Angus Hastings,
Jonathan Uy,
Jonas Vergin, and
Marcus Nordgard kept Botterill well protected all night long. The Bobcats spent hardly any time in the Stags defensive third during the first half. The team may have gained some momentum in the middle third of the pitch during the second half, but never were able to penetrate fully into the box except on rare occasion.
"In the second half, Quinnipiac controlled a lot of possession without actually penetrating and that is a credit to the defensive shape," Rees said. "But it was another 110 minutes without conceding a goal."
The Stags have gone 210 minutes without allowing a goal, a streak which includes a 3-0 shutout of Rider University in the regular-season finale on November 1. The Broncs defeated Canisius College by a 3-1 count in the other MAAC semifinal to advance to Sunday's championship game. Fairfield will need another strong effort against one of the top offensive teams in the conference and a side that earned national ranking during the season.
But should that effort be brought forth, it would could lead to quite the celebration. And that's something that every student-athlete has imagined at one time or another.
