FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Fairfield University men's soccer team garnered the number two slot with Monmouth University in the 2021 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll which was announced on August 24. The Stags and the Hawks each accumulated 96 points in the rankings with Fairfield collecting one first place vote and Monmouth University picking up three top votes.

Fairfield defender Cormac Pike was also honored with a spot on the 2021 Preseason All-MAAC Team which was also voted upon by the coaches. Pike started every game during the 2020-21 spring season and ended up with a berth to the All-MAAC team for his defensive efforts. Offensively, he contributed with the deciding goal in a 2-0 victory against Canisius in the season opener. The defender also was decorated by the conference following his freshman year as a member of the MAAC All-Rookie team. 

Quinnipiac University was named the MAAC preseason favorite after advancing to the MAAC Tournament championship game last spring and winning the conference's regular-season title. The Bobcats earned seven first-place votes in the poll which resulted in 115 points. Monmouth, the defending MAAC champion, ended last season with a 6-3-1 overall mark while the Stags posted a 4-3-1 record which included a tournament quarterfinal win at Saint Peter's.

Rider University placed fourth in the preseason ranking with 89 points, going 3-1-1 overall through its five games played in the spring. Marist College rounds out the top five with 71 points, followed by Iona in the six slot with 59 points. The rest of the preseason poll put Niagara seventh with 55 points, Saint Peter's eighth with 48 points, Manhattan ninth with 46 points, Siena 10th with 33 points, and Canisius 11th with 18 points.

Fairfield, under Head Coach Carl Rees, opens the 2021 Fall season with a trip to the University at Albany before returning home for matches against Yale on September 3 and Army West Point on September 7. Both home games will be played at Lessing Field on the Fairfield campus with game times slated for 7 pm.

The Stags return their top three scorers from last season, a trio that combined for seven of the team's 11 goals scored. Jonathan Filipe paced the team's offense with three goals and two assists for eight points while Alex Oliveira added two goals and one assist for five points. Thomas Drillien, the 2020-21 MAAC Co-Rookie of the Year, rounds out the top three scorers with his two goals and four points.