Box Score                 DURHAM, N.H. – For the entire season, the Fairfield University men's soccer managed to find ways to win matches especially in the closing minutes. Tonight against a dark, rainy sky, the Stags were not able to spin that magic that seemed to follow from game to game and site to site.

                The men's soccer team's season came to an end in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, falling to the University of New Hampshire by a 3-0 count at Wildcat Stadium.  The score may not reflect it, but Fairfield did everything it could to win this game, outshooting New Hampshire by a 16-13 count, but the Wildcats were able to put more of their attempts on target.   

                For the most part, goalkeeper Gordon Botterill was able to manage the game from his back line, making seven saves in his 90 minutes of work. But in the game, the ball did not always offer a friendly bounce, none more noticeable than the ball that bounced away just 12 minutes into the contest.

                New Hampshire put the first goal of the game on the board when Jack Doherty made a cut from 15 yards out and sent a cross to the center of the box. Goalkeeper Gordon Botterill dove the stop the cross but the wet ball squirted away when he came down on the turf. Robin Schmidt was waiting for the loose ball and one-timed a shot into the open net that put the home team in front, 1-0.

                Fairfield was the aggressor from that point, constantly sending the ball into the offensive third. New Hampshire's defense was able to clear most of the threats but the Stags began to find more open space as more pressure was applied.

                At first, Fairfield settled for shots outside the box, including one from Ben Wignall in the 22^nd minute that forced New Hampshire goalkeeper Andrew Pesci to make an attempt at a save before the ball just cleared the cross bar. Jonathan Uy nearly created a chance with a long cross from midfield that Don-Junior Bobe was able to run down, but Pesci came off his line and smothered the ball before Bobe could put any weight behind his shot.

                While Fairfield sent ball after ball forward, New Hampshire seemed content with staying back and clearing any dangerous possessions while countering offensively when the moment allowed. One of those counters nearly proved true when Doherty maneuvered around his defender and sprung one-on-one with Botterill. The freshman handled the situation brilliantly and deflected the shot wide of the goal.

                Defenders Angus Hastings and Marcus Nordgard also answered the call on a pair of occasions with each making a sliding tackle on runs that seemed destined for danger.

                The Stags had two opportunities on consecutive possessions with the first coming off a header from Joseph Meyer that ended with a header that cleared the cross bar. A minute later, Eirick Anderson released a shot from just outside the box that ended with a Pesci save.

                With seconds ticking down in the first half, New Hampshire managed one more run down the right flank. Schmidt found open space seven yards  on the right side of the box and hit a shot that caught the upper corner with eight seconds remaining, sending New Hampshire into the locker room with a 2-0 lead.

                "That second goal was a game changer," Head Coach Carl Rees said. "It forced our hand. At 1-0 and given our history of coming back this year, it wasn't the end of the world. When the second goal goes in, we have to decide to stay as we are or tweak it but you have to be careful because you can't wait too long because you run out of time."

                The chances were diminished in the second half as New Hampshire kept most everyone back to prevent any possible dangerous situations. Because of that strategy, the Stags were forced to take more shots from distance, although there were a few opportunities that came Fairfield's way.

                Steven Valente had a chance late in the game and tried to curl a shot inside the far post but the ball was not very forgiving and ended up wide of its intended placement. Diego Casielles also sent a shot that skipped off the turf and back up but Pesci was able to secure the shot against his chest without giving up the rebound.

                But in the end, the Stags' offensive runs were not rewarded and the game as well as the team's 10-game unbeaten streak came to a close. Still, Rees knows that this program has added an important component to its talent and tenacity.

                "This has been quite a journey," Rees said. "I am very appreciative to our seniors and am delighted that they were able to get a regular-season championship and a MAAC tournament championship and a chance to test themselves against the national level. We want our program to be at the national level. We will be back and when we are we will have a lot of that national tournament experience."