Fairfield University Athletics

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – When the final horn sounded and the crowd rushed to celebrate with Fairfield University Men's Soccer following its MAAC Championship win, Ben Wignall surveyed the crowd with the hope of finding Angus Hastings, a classmate that he started the quest for Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) championship back in 2014.

"I had all these people running at me but the only person I wanted to go find was Angus," Wignall said. "Four years ago I got off a plane on my own and the first person I met was that kid there and we just lifted the MAAC championship trophy together. And it's a really special moment for me to do it with my best friend. It means a lot to me."

The Stags extended their unbeaten streak to 10 games with tonight's 1-0 win over Rider, giving Fairfield its fifth MAAC title under Head Coach Carl Rees and first since the 2011 campaign. The team improved its home record to 6-1-2 this season with that one loss coming on September 29 against Canisius, a 3-2 setback in overtime. Since that result, Fairfield has yet to lose another game, posting a 7-0-3 mark through October and November.

But tonight's win was the most meaningful to the coaching staff and team which started the year off with a 2-3 record that included a lopsided loss to nationally-ranked Portland, just two days removed from picking up an impressive 2-1 win over Oregon State to start the season. But that loss to Portland was the decisive moment when this team came together and channeled their energy toward one common goal.

"I think after the loss to Portland we got everyone in the locker room and discussed what we did wrong which was obviously a lot of things," Angus Hastings said. "But we knew that we had the heart to go and do something like this and I think every single one of us has shown it. It's been an absolutely unbelievable year and I'm very happy to be part of it."

The Stags earned the right to call themselves champions by shutting out Rider for the second time this month, also earning a clean sheet on November 1 when Fairfield scored a 3-0 win over the Broncs to win the regular season championship. Rider was shut out four times this year and the Stags were responsible for two of those results.

Tonight, the back four enjoyed another stellar performance that kept the Broncs out of synch for most of the game. But Rider, the second-best offensive in the conference coming into tonight, had several chances including one that was just inches away from giving the lead to the visiting team.

With just over 15 minutes remaining in the first half, Pablo DeCastro laced a shot that pinged off the cross bar and bounced down on the goal line before the Stags were able to clear the ball out of danger. It was Rider's best chance by far and one of few that the Stags defense yielded in the 90-minute game.

But the Stags also had a chance in the early moments of the game when a flurry of shots forced two saves from Rider goalkeeper David Pastuna and one deflection by a Rider defender. The Stags sent a cross into the box where Wignall was able to put a shot on goal that Pastuna turned away. The rebound came to Don-Junior Bobe, but his shot was deflected back into play. Eirik Anderson took possession and one-timed a shot back onto goal but Pastuna was able to corral the attempt and end the attack.

The game was decided in the 71st minute when Diallo Simon-Ponte took control of the ball on the right flank and brought the ball into the box. He sent a shot toward the far post but a Rider defender dove to try and deflect the ball. The momentum of the shot carried the ball beyond the reach of Pastuna and landed in the back of the net, giving Fairfield its 1-0 lead.

The Stags back four along with goalkeeper Gordon Botterill did not relent and kept Rider away from the goal for most of the final 20 minutes. Fairfield's defense posted its third straight shutout while Botterill added to his scoreless minutes streak which now stands at just under 300 minutes. The Stags defense was once again anchored by seniors Jonathan Uy and Hastings.

"This was a group (senior class) that was 10 minutes away from doing this as freshmen," Head Coach Carl Rees said. "Rider is a very good team as two-time defending champs.  But today was our day and this year was our year.  We vowed to do this so there was inevitability about it. The desire and the hunger of this group has been unstoppable up to this point. We have character leadership with the seniors but also all the way through the juniors, sophomores, and freshmen as well."

The leadership mixed with the work ethic and determination proved to be factors in this championship run, something that started well before tonight.

"We sweat in the spring in the gym when no one was watching behind closed doors," Hastings said. "We did it in preseason when it was boiling. We went to the west coast and beat Oregon State and then got smacked by Portland. Now we are here on our home field grinding out results week after week.  It's absolutely unbelievable and I couldn't be prouder to be with a group of men like we have here."

But today's win does not end the season as the Stags will find out its NCAA first-round opponent on Monday afternoon. The team and fans will come together at the Barone Campus Center lower level to watch the NCAA Selection Show beginning at 1 pm.