FAIRFIELD, Conn. – It may not be the way that Head Coach
Carl Rees had hoped his team would end the non-conference season but the Fairfield University men's soccer team's 2-0 loss to Saint Joseph's University was chock full of opportunity. While the team could not capitalize, just the fact that the team made a strong showing has Rees optimistic for the upcoming Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference season.
"In terms of possession, we were the superior of the two teams. In terms of penetration where it counts, we weren't as effective as we needed to be in the final third. From our goal line to the edge of the final third, we were where we wanted to be. But in front of the goal, we didn't finish."
The Stags outshot the Hawks in each half, beginning with a 4-2 edge in the first half. After halftime, Fairfield turned up the pressure, especially when it fell behind, which resulted in a sizeable advantage of 7-2. But as Rees pointed out, his lads had trouble finishing those opportunities that seemed promising.
Saint Joseph's opened the scoring in the first half when Frantz Pierrot scored when he collected a loose ball outside of the box and lofted a shot that went over the goalkeeper's head and landed just inside the far post, pushing the score to 1-0 in the 44th minute.
The Hawks put the game out of reach when Alvin Dahn stepped in front of a Fairfield pass around midfield and shot down the center of the field toward the Stags' goal. He entered the box and released a shot that Fairfield goalkeeper
Gordon Botterill was able to deflect but not fully redirect which allowed the ball to go the lower right corner of the goal.
With this game tucked behind them, Fairfield will begin its focus on the MAAC season which opens next Saturday, September 29, against Niagara University. The experience that the team gained during the first seven games of the season was productive and should carry far within conference play.
"A lot of our young players have gained a lot of experiences and we learned a lot of lessons against top teams," Coach Rees said. "We have a great nucleus of players here and I'm very optimistic about the conference season."
