FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Fairfield University men's soccer team will host Quinnipiac University in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC match on Thursday afternoon at Lessing Field. The match, the first of three home dates this spring, is slated for a 1 pm start. The game will be aired on ESPN3.

The Stags opened their season last week with a 2-0 win over Canisius College, the team's first road game of the season. Fairfield received an offensive boost from Cormac Pike and Alex Oliveira as the duo scored their first goals of the season. Goalkeeper Gordon Botterill recorded the clean sheet by making three saves in the contest, registering two saves in the first half and making another stop in the second half.

For their efforts, Oliveira and Botterill were honored by the MAAC with weekly honors as Oliveira collected the rookie of the week award and Botterill secured the defensive player of the week award. Oliveira earned his accolade in his first start with the Stags. Botterill owned a 1.22 goals against average with a .798 save percentage in 2019, making 87 saves in 17 matches. Pike was also chipped into the Stags offense with a goal and two assists in his 17 appearances curing the 2019 campaign.

The Bobcats will play their first game of the spring campaign this afternoon, the program's first time on the pitch in 16 months. Quinnipiac was tabbed number two in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll after coming off a strong 2019 campaign that saw the team post a 7-2-1 mark in MAAC play. Three Bobcats earned All-Rookie honors following that successful season, namely Tomas Svecula, Brage Aasen, and Henry Weigand.

Svecula, who garnered the MAAC Rookie of the Year in 2019, registered 16 points in his inaugural campaign which included four goals in MAAC play and two goals in non-conference action. Aasen also contributed to the team's offensive success with eight points, representing two of the program's top four scorers off the 2019 statistical leaderboard.

The Stags will also host a pair of home games later this spring as they compete off a seven-game schedule. Fairfield will also host Marist College on March 28 before concluding the home slate with Manhattan College for the regular-season finale on April 5. All games will be played at Lessing Field.