CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The Fairfield University men's soccer team finished the non-conference portion of its season with a 6-0 setback against Harvard University, giving the squad a 4-4 mark against teams outside the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Stags will now place their focus on MAAC play over their final 10 regular-season matches.

The Stags made leeway early in the first half after the two teams spent the opening 10 minutes finding their way against each other. Harvard made a few runs after that start but goalkeeper James Anderson was able to make two saves to keep the Crimson off the scoreboard. In the eighth minute, the home team placed three shots on target in just under 15 seconds with Anderson making the first save and followed by covering up the two corresponding shots that came off the rebounds.

A few minutes later, the Stags began to find their footing inside the Crimson 18-yard box and put their best pressure on the back line to that point. The run began with a pair of shots from Raz Amir that were off the mark but set the tone for the next few minutes. In the 23rd minute, it was Alex Oliveira's turn to step up and the senior took the role to heart. He put his first of three first-half shots on goal which required Harvard goalkeeper Oskar Nilsson into action. Two minutes later, Oliveira made another run into the box and released a shot that Nilsson found before it hit the back of the net.

In the 28th minute, Thomas Drillien accepted the ball and found enough space to put a shot on goal which Nilsson made yet another save to keep the game scoreless. The Crimson finally broke the tie with a goal in the 30th minute as Ale Gutierrez sent a shot into the lower corner to grab the one-goal lead. Fairfield nearly had the equalizer when Oliveira rose above his defender and put his head on a perfect cross from the right side. Nilsson managed to get a hand on the ball off full extension to keep the Stags scoreless.

On the ensuing possession, Harvard doubled its lead with a goal in the 34th minute which continued an offensive run that wouldn't end until the home team tallied four goals over 12 minutes and sent the Crimson into the locker room with a 4-0 lead. Both teams were highly accurate with shot on goal as Fairfield put four of their six attempts on target while Harvard registered seven shots on goal off 11 tries.

The offensive opportunities were less available in the second half as both back lines settled into a more comfortable position. Harvard scored on two of their five shots while Fairfield put one of its two shots on goal. By the end of the game, Harvard out shot the Stags by a 16-8 margin.

Fairfield will open MAAC play on Wednesday, September 28 by hosting Mount St. Mary's at Lessing Field beginning at 7 pm. The match begins a 10-match run to close the regular season against conference opponents.