As Fairfield University soccer fans have come to know, former Fairfield University goalkeeper Matt Turner has always been driven on the pitch. His perseverance led him to earn the starting goalkeeper position at Fairfield for the 2014 and 2015 seasons and eventually sent him on his way to a roster spot with the New England Revolution.

                While he didn't see  action over the first two seasons with the Major League Soccer club, Turner's perseverance again paid off as he took over as the team's starting goalkeeper in 2018. And now, his future will be even more solid with his signing of a multi-year contract extension that will keep him on the pitch with the Revolution for several more seasons.

                ""I'm really pleased to be here (with the Revolution) long term," Turner said in a statement released by the Revolution. "This is the only club that really gave me an opportunity out of college, and since then, I've just been trying to repay the Kraft Group, repay my coaching staffs over the years, and just try to make the fans as proud as possible."

                "I am delighted but not surprised with his success," Fairfield University Head Coach Carl Rees said. "Matt Turner is a consummate professional and is a great example for our current student-athletes in every sport at Fairfield University."

                The Revolution has certainly earned dividends by placing its faith in the New Jersey native. He has played 40 games in goal for the team and has posted a 14-12-13 mark with eight clean sheets during his career. He earned the starting role at the beginning of last year and has remained the team's primary goalkeeper throughout the 2019 campaign.

                This year, Turner has earned a 6-2-4 record in his 13 starts with 50 saves and three shutouts, helping him collect two berths to the MLSSoccer.com Team of the Week. His most recent selection came on August 17 after registering a career-best nine saves against the New York Red Bulls.

                Turner is in his fourth season with the New England Revolution, not earning any appearances with the club through his first two seasons. But during those two years, he gained experience when the Revolution placed him on short-term loan to the Richmond Kickers where he made 27 starts and posted seven clean sheets.

                The goalkeeper faced a similar situation when he was a member of the Fairfield University soccer program, playing in just one match in each of his first two years for a combined 48 minutes.
Rather than just wait for the opportunity, Turner went out and prepared for when his chance might come. During one of his summer breaks, he traveled to Brazil to participate in a soccer academy where he spent four weeks with the finest soccer athletes in that country.

                "The experience was incredible," Turner said in an interview after returning from Brazil that summer. "My age group was the under 20s and there were kids there who were pros. They were either between teams or were at the academy on rehab assignment. We played four games while I was there. The academy was located on a hill so there were five fields that went up the mountain. The game field was at the bottom so everyone from the academy as well as fans from town would sit on the hillside and watch us play. It was high intensity and a professional atmosphere."

                 His next summer was equally important as he went on to spend time as a goalkeeper with the Jersey Express as part of the Premier Development League (PDL). During that summer session, Turner helped guide the team to a playoff appearance after sporting a 9-1-1 record with a 1.00 goals against average.

                 Turner's time on the Brazilian mountainside and in the PDL was instrumental in his earning the starting position with the Stags in the Fall of 2014. That season, Turner led the nation in save percentage (89 percent) and in shutout percentage (72 percent) as he recorded 13 clean sheets with a 0.50 goals against average.  In his senior campaign, Turner secured a 0.98 goals against average with a .796 save percentage with seven shutouts. He capped his career with a spot on the 2015 All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) team.

                 Turner continues to embrace the Jesuit values and mission that are at the forefront of every Fairfield University education. This season, he launched Matt's NEGU Crew, a program that provides a memorable game day experience at Gillette Stadium to young cancer patients which include a meet and greet with Turner, a suite for the family, and postgame access to the field.

                Now, he is achieving his own success in the professional ranks because of the same dedication and desire that he had throughout his time at Fairfield. With the Revolution in the middle of making a claim to a playoff berth, Turner will look to use the same perseverance that has served him so well in the past to bring success to the Revolution this season and in the future.