FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Fairfield University men's soccer team will take their first step in the postseason when it travels to Niagara University for a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament quarterfinal match. The Stags enter the tournament as the sixth seed after finishing the conference slate with a 5-4-1 record while the Purple Eagles secured the third seed with their 6-4-0 mark.

This will mark the second time that these two team met on the pitch this season with Fairfield taking a 2-1 win over Niagara on Lessing Field in the MAAC opener for both programs. Daniel Raimondo and Thomas Drillien posted goals in the Stags' win. Jelldrik Dallman scored the Purple Eagles' goal which cut the Stags 2-0 lead in half in the 61st minute. 

Dallman has enjoyed one of the top offensive seasons in the conference, coming into the MAAC tournament meeting with 14 goals and an assist. He scores goals in bunches with four multi-goal games this season including three in the regular-season win over Canisius. The junior has tallied 10 goals in his final seven regular-season appearances. Gabriel Mikina represents the team's second-leading scorer with four goals and two assists for 10 points. 

Nick Burke and Josh Savoni have split the goalkeeper duties with each student-athlete playing more than 700 minutes each. Burke has played 776 minutes in 10 appearances which has allowed him to post a 2.32 goals against average with .608 save percentage against 31 saves. Savoni has 765 minutes on his ledge with a 1.41 save percentage and a .797 save percentage courtesy of 47 saves in 10 games.

Fairfield comes off a 2-1 setback in its regular-season finale as Marist scored twice before Thomas Stickley posted the Stags lone goal in the game late in the second half. It was Stickley's first goal and gave the Stags an opportunity to make a run late.

Jonathan Filipe remains the team's top scorer with 10 goals and four assists for 24 points which helps him place second in the MAAC for points per game with 1.50. He places second to Niagara's Dallman which leads the conference with his 2.23 points per game.  Drillien and Rasmus Sorensen Rejnhold are next in line with Drillien registering six goals and four assists for 16 points while Rejnhold has six goals and two assists for 14 points.

Goalkeeper William Marment surpassed the 1000-minute mark with his performance against Marist, coming into this match with 1010 minutes played. The graduate student owns a 1.60 goals against average with a .705 save percentage off 43 saves in 11 games. He also has two clean sheets this season.

The winner of this game will advance to the MAAC Tournament semifinals on Thursday, November 11 with the opponent to be determined.