FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Fairfield University men's soccer team opened the 2023 season with a spirited effort but came up short against FDU in the opener for both teams as the Knights found their way to a 3-1 victory at Lessing Field on Thursday night. The Stags fell behind early, showed resiliency to battle back with a quick goal to start the second half before FDU rallied for a pair of goals in a seven-minute span beginning in the 75th minute.

"They were a quality opponent as the reigning NEC (Northeast Conference) champion," Head Coach Carl Rees said. "I thought we reacted well to falling behind to the adjustments we made at halftime. We had several first-time starters tonight so I think as we gain more experience we will be able to move forward as the season progresses."

Fairfield put forth a solid mix of returning players and newcomers onto the pitch and the group meshed well especially during the middle third of the game. After Sam Danner applied some pressure in the opening minutes with back-to-back shots in the seventh minute, FDU found its way into the Stags defensive third and attacked more frequently. Fairfield's back line held for the first 30 minutes with goalkeeper James Anderson adding a strong play in support of his teammates. 

FDU broke through with the game's first goal in the 31st minute which ruined a nifty save from Anderson, who made a full-extended stop to the lower left corner. The ball escaped the senior goalkeeper after the initial save and landed on the foot of Eric Dlabal, who quickly deposited the ball into the back of the net to send the visiting team into the locker room with a one-goal advantage.

Fairfield came out in the second half with more vigor and turned the table on FDU early in the second half with counter attacks that placed the Knights back on their collective heels through the opening minutes. The Stags would use one of those counters to secure the tying goal in the 48th minute with Raz Amir taking the ball down the left flank before cutting diagonally 20 yards from goal. Joseph Stocchetti made a run down the center of the pitch which created a 2 on 1 situation with a FDU defender. Amir slipped a pass to Stocchetti in stride and the senior one-timed a shot that rolled into back of the net.

FDU broke the deadlock in the 75th minute when Jaime Barbero controlled a loose ball near the far post and tucked a shot just inside to push the Knights back in front at 2-1. The Knights completed the scoring seven minutes later by taking advantage of a scramble in front of the Stags goal. Both teams knocked the ball around about 10 yards from the goal line with each side gaining temporary possession for a few moments. The ball finally landed in front of Eugenio Garcia who lofted a ball just under the cross bar to give a decisive advantage to the visiting team. The Stags had an opportunity for a second goal during the second half after Alex Oliviera launched a shot from just outside the 18 which beat the goalkeeper high before bouncing off the cross bar and out of play.

Anderson finished the game with three saves while his counterpart Spencer King was responsible for one save, a stop against Amir in the final minutes of the first half.

Fairfield returns to the pitch on Sunday evening for a match with Bryant University at Lessing Field. The game is slated for a 7 pm start.