FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- With constant pressure up front and another solid performance in the back, the Fairfield University men's soccer team picked up three points in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) standings following its 1-0 win over Saint Peter's University. The team earned its second MAAC win of the season, both 1-0 finals at Lessing Field. 

The Stags controlled play from start to finish with a few flashes by the Peacocks that created some anxiety but no second chances courtesy of the back line. James Anderson turned in another stellar performance which resulted in his fourth clean sheet of the season, again with all those victories coming by a 1-0 margin. The junior made three saves to record the shutout, all of which came in the second half.

Saint Peter's did not spend much time inside the Fairfield 18 yard box, managing just one shot through the first 45 minutes. Most of that success came from another strong outing from the Stags' defenders who kept the Peacocks from mounting any real offensive movement. After Fairfield took the lead in the 73rd minute, the visitors stepped up their offensive push out of necessity and ended up creating several real threats but were turned away each time. Saint Peter's ended the second half with seven shots but only three required the attention of Anderson.

Fairfield attacked from the onset as Kaea Rangihaeata, who earned his first career start this evening, nearly put up his first career goal with a shot that required a save just 20 seconds into the match. He added another shot in the third minute as well as in the 15th minute to account for Fairfield's first three attempts of the match. Four out of Fairfield's first five shots missed the target but the Stags found their accuracy later in the half. Alex Oliveira and Marc Tirado found their way into the box and each took a shot that forced goalkeeper Guillem Badenes Mecho to scoop up the ball and keep the game scoreless.

Saint Peter's opened the second half with a bit of a flurry, earning its first two corner kicks of the game and putting its first shot on goal. Following the second corner kick, Antonio Green collected an unclaimed ball about 12 yards from goal and sent a shot toward the lower left corner. Anderson extended to block the attempt and send the ball out of danger just seven minutes into the half.

The Peacocks had another outstanding opportunity in the 63rd minute when Mikkell Fodstad ended up with a misplayed pass just outside the 18 yard box where he made one move to toward the right post and released a shot that the post and bounced back into play. The Stags also had the ball knock off the woodwork in the second half when Cormac Pike sent a ball toward the Saint Peter's goal that would eventually ricochet off the cross bar and skip over the touch line.

But Pike would have another opportunity which he played brilliantly when he anticipated a run to goal from Joseph Lozowski. Pike put the ball right on the foot of Lozowski as he went to goal and redirected Pike's cross into the near corner for a 1-0 Fairfield lead. The goal would stand up for the remaining 16 minutes of the match.

Raz Amir and Rangihaeata combined for eight shots in the match with the freshman accounting for a personal-best six attempts. Fairfield outshot the visiting team by a 16-8 count with the Stags holding a 6-3 edge in shots on goal.

"Saint Peter's came here with a game plan and were resilient in executing that plan so credit to them," Head Coach Carl Rees said. "But we had a game plan too and countered their expectations with another solid effort defensively that ended with another clean sheet from James and the collective defensive unit. To me, we had been conceding too many goals so getting the clean sheet was job one for us."

Fairfield will complete its three-game home stand on Saturday, October 15 when the program will honor their seniors before the 1 pm game at Lessing Field.