LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – The disappointment was evident on the faces of the student-athletes and the coaching staff. After battling for 108-plus minutes, the Fairfield University men's soccer team fell to Rider University by a 2-1 score in the MAAC Championship semifinal match.
While the emotion still lingered for Head Coach
Carl Rees, it did not prevent from speaking highly of the effort that this team put forth tonight and throughout the season. The result may not have been what was desired but the team's performance of the final 13 games which included seven wins and a draw was what Rees pointed to in his post-game comments.
"The performance we gave tonight embodies the character of this team," Coach Rees said. "But this game can be cruel at times. I am really proud of the guys and what they gave us every night."
The Stags needed to give everything they had on this night. Fairfield controlled play in the first half and was the aggressor through most of the first half. And it was during that time that the Stags were able to create and finish a brilliant set piece that put the sixth-seeded Stags in front. After a foul was called about 35 yards from goal,
Jonathan Filipe was called on to send the ball from the spot of the foul. He placed the ball inside the box where
Thomas Drillien was able to rise above his defender and head the ball just under the cross bar in the far corner of the goal, putting the Stags in front in the 34
th minute.
But for most of the second half, Fairfield played a man down after a red card sent a man off the pitch. The momentum certainly changed on the play as Rider was able to play more aggressively and forced the Stags to defend waves of forward movement. For the most part, the Stags defense was equal to the task especially with
William Marment making seven saves on the night.
Rider broke through in 67
th minute when a blocked shot ended up on the foot of Guillermo Pavia Vidal, who struck a volley that was partially deflected enroute before finding the far corner of the goal, tying the score at 1-1.
The Stags regrouped and made several offensive runs after Rider tallied the equalizer. Filipe and Drillien both combined for a few opportunities but none of those chances ended with goals. Rider eventually lost a player to a red card as well which put both teams with 10 players for the six minutes of regulation and 19 minutes of overtime.
Rider won the game in 108
th minute when Pavia Vidal sent a through ball between two Fairfield defenders which found the space occupied by Taner Bay, who finished the shot to the far corner and sent the Broncs to victory.
