FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The emotions after a postseason loss can be excruciating for a coach and his players. Missed opportunities and the disappointment that they bring can linger from the end of the game until the start of the following preseason. Following tonight's 2-0 loss to Rider in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) men's soccer tournament semifinals, Fairfield Head Coach Carl Rees wrestled with those thoughts and possibilities. While the disappointment of tonight's loss was on his mind, there was another reason for his dismay.

"We are disappointed with tonight's result but more importantly, we are sad that this season is over and that's the overriding feeling," Coach Rees said. "This is a young group, a good group and it will come for them. It's been a lot of fun all year long and it's been a great ride."

At times, especially in the first half, it looked like that coming would happen tonight as Fairfield weathered early aggression on the part of Rider University which saw the Broncs work their way into two outstanding opportunities. The best chance came on a cross to the center of the box that landed on the foot of the team's leading goal scorer Elliot Otmani, who put a shot on goal that was turned away by Fairfield goalkeeper Gordon Botterill. 

A few minutes later, the Stags earned a free kick from about 20 yards at the top of the box. Matt McGlinchey took his spot on the right side of the ball while Diego Casielles secured his space on the left side of the ball. It was Casielles who took the chance and drilled a shot that caromed off the cross bar and landed on the foot of Joseph Meyer. The midfielder sent the ball back toward the goal but it skipped wide of the far post to keep the game scoreless.

"Diego will always be remembered for his magic left foot and he showed that on the set piece," Coach Rees said. "It shouldn't be a surprise because over the course of his career he has become more and more influential and more impactful with his passing as well as his work rate defensively."

The cross bar was not kind to the Stags tonight as it not only took away that opportunity but it was also unfriendly later in the first half. McGlinchey secured the ball on the right side of the pitch and sent the ball into the box where Fernando Robayo waited for its arrival. The sophomore went up and put his head squarely on the ball and watched it head toward the back of the net. But the ball's path was not sharp enough as it smacked off the cross bar and came back into play where a Rider defender was able to send it away from danger.

"We lacked the cutting edge tonight," Coach Rees. "We had a number of chances in the final third and really settled into it. But when we had the momentum, we didn't capitalize on those moments. At this point of the season, teams get better so there will be an ebb and flow. So when you are on top, you've got to seize those moments and we didn't do that tonight."

What were missed opportunities for Fairfield became second and third chances for Rider and the Broncs took advantage in the second half. Just three minutes after halftime, the visitors found their luck when Taner Bay sent a pass from the right side of the box that eluded a couple of Fairfield defenders and found Elliott Otmani in free space at the far post. The forward finished the play with a shot that caught the inside of the post and pushed the fifth seed into the lead.

Down a goal, Fairfield needed to become more aggressive and take more chances up front which provided Rider with more counterattacks and put added pressure on the Fairfield back four. One of those counters proved fruitful for the Broncs when Otmani escaped down the right channel and pushed a pass into the box which Mathis Catanzaro finished into the far corner for a 2-0 lead with 18 minutes remaining in the second half.

"Rider finished their chances tonight and ultimately we didn't and that was the difference," Coach Rees said. "Then we got to the stage where we needed to take chances to try and recover the goal and we got caught on that second chance."

Fairfield tried for one more miraculous comeback to save its season, something that Fairfield managed to do on several occasions this year including a 2-1 win over Monmouth and erasing a two-goal deficit to defeat these Rider Broncs by a 3-2 count on the road. But this time, the Stags could not muster the attack and pressure that would yield such a result. But it did not happen on this night and so that disappointment worked its way into the night for Rees and his lads.

But in the end, the Stags still have a lot to remember about this season which saw the team win 11 games and extend their MAAC regular-season unbeaten streak to 18 games with its 8-0-2 mark during this year's conference slate.

"There are a number of things we should be proud of as a program like going undefeated in conference play during the regular season," Coach Rees said. "But it will come for this group. It may not have happened this year but it will come for this team."

And when it does, Rees knows that those feelings of elation will be something that he and his team hope will linger for a very long time.