LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. --Heading into tonight's match with Rider University, the Fairfield University men's soccer team was the only remaining unbeaten team in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play after Quinnipiac fell from the ranks with its loss earlier in the day. Somehow, the Stags managed to emerge with that distinction still intact as they managed to overcome a 2-0 second-half deficit to score three times in the final 30-plus minutes of regulation to upend the Broncs by a 3-2 score on their home pitch.
At times, Fairfield seemed destined to fall from the unbeaten ranks as Rider dominated play especially in the first half. The Stags had trouble maintaining any momentum in the first 45 minutes as the home team out shot the visitors by a 6-2 count with one of those attempts finding the back of the net. Trailing 1-0, Fairfield tried to gain any momentum at the start of the second half, but that did not go as planned either. Just four minutes into half,
Eliott Otmani tallied his fifth goal of the season and doubled down on the Rider lead, taking a 2-0 advantage with just over 40 minutes remaining in regulation.
While that second goal was a turning point in the game, it was not for Rider. Rather, the Stags found something within themselves, a mixture of youthful exuberance and tactical experience, which was brought forward in a way that changed the
complexion of the game. As he has done all season, Head Coach
Carl Rees began tinkering with the framework of the team and starting rotating players in and out every 15 minutes or so to enable Fairfield to gain a sustainable attack that kept pressure on the Rider back four and goalkeeper for more than 30 minutes.
"The team really responded and they were dynamite," Coach Rees said. "We didn't have enough volume to support our attack so consequently we weren't getting any shots on goal. So we changed the system halfway through the first half by widening our attack and that generated volume in the final third. We rotated lads off the bench because we have depth and that allowed us to just keep coming and coming. Once we seized momentum in this game, we capitalized on it."
That momentum switch came in the
59th minute when defender Daniel
Bjorck came forward and finished a play that started with a strong run by Fernando
Robayo. The freshman found open space and sent a hard shot toward goal that was stopped initially but the goalkeeper yielded a rebound that found its way to
Bjorck. The junior collected the ball and released a shot quickly that caught the lower corner of the goal to cut the deficit in half, 2-1.
The Stags defenders were not done yet in the offensive third as the second goal also included play from the back four. After Rider was called for a foul, goalkeeper Gordon
Botterill sent a long ball from Fairfield territory into the box where defender
Cormac Pike quickly sent the ball to the far post where defender
NadavÂ
Zarmi was waiting to finish the play. By the end of the play, the game was all square at 2-2 with 24 minutes left in regulation.
The team was not satisfied with just getting back to even so it continued to push forward and send a consistent string of balls into the box creating several opportunities that seemed destined for goals but took fine play by Rider goalkeeper Pablo
Gatinois to keep things level. Diego
Casielles was especially unlucky as two of his shots were well suited but acrobatic saves prevented him from scoring his fifth goal of the season.
Fairfield's pressure eventually paid off as the Stags looked to be in position for another scoring chance with a cross from the far corner. As the ball entered the box, a Rider defender tried to clear the ball over the touch line but instead hit the ball into the Broncs' goal to put the Stags in the lead for the first time at 3-2 with five minutes remaining in regulation. The Broncs made several valiant runs to tie the match, but Fairfield packed the box and really kept Rider from creating any dangerous situations.
With the win, Fairfield improved to 8-4-0 and 5-0-0 in
MAAC play and extended its winning streak to five matches. And just as been the case all season long, the Stags received a boost from their underclassmen who continue to make an impact with their play.
"We started five freshmen tonight," Coach Rees said. "There is this youthful exuberance about them as well as bit of the unknown and unpredictability that goes with a group of young players. But if you look at the goal spread, you will see that everyone is contributing and we are not relying on a big major goal scorer. We run deep and they will not give up."
The Stags will return to the pitch on Wednesday, October 17 when they head to Siena College for a 3 pm match.
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