FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University men's soccer team continues its season-opening road trip with a match up against UConn on Thursday night. Game time is slated for 6 pm.

The Stags began the campaign with a 2-1 set back against #17 Marshall University last week, a game that was decided on a goal with six seconds remaining in the contest. All three goals were scored in the second half, beginning with a goal by the Herd in the 75^th minute.

Fairfield rookie Cristiano Carlos tied the game with a header just two minutes later that brought the two team even once again.  The game winner came in the 89^th minute off a volley six yards from goal.

Carlos became the third freshman in as many years to score the team's first goal of the campaign, joining teammate Alex Vaz who accomplished the task in a 2-1 over Army West Point a year ago and Owen Drummond who netted the team's lone goal in a 3-1 decision against FDU.

Sophomore goalkeeper Evan Chomow posted a pair of saves in each half against Marshall, making a stop in the 13^th and 33^rd minutes as well as a pair of saves in the 50^th minute. He also picked up his first career point when his kick from inside the box provided the opening needed by Carlos to finish in the 77^th minute.

The Marshall result was the fourth time that Head Coach Krystian Witkowski has sent his squad up against a nationally-ranked opponent since taking over the program in 2024. The program posted a scoreless draw against #24 UConn in 2024 before playing two matches against poll teams in 2025. The Stags defeated #17 Marist University by a 5-1 count but fell short against #9 University of Vermont in a 4-2 decision.

UConn opened the 2026 season as the 24^th ranked team in the United Soccer Coaches' Preseason Poll. The Huskies dropped their first two decisions to Syracuse University at home and UMass on the road. Elijah Langford was responsible for the Huskies' goal against Syracuse, cutting a two-goal deficit in half in the 85^th minute. Langford picked up his second goal of the campaign in the 75^th minute against UMass.

Following UConn, Fairfield will return home for its first home game of the 2026 campaign. The Stags will play three of its next four games at Lessing Field, beginning with the September 1 match
against Lehigh University. The remainder of that stretch will include a home date with the University of New Haven on September 12 and the team's Metro Conference opener versus Siena on September 19. All three games have a 6 pm start.

The aforementioned four-game stretch will conclude a run that sees Fairfield play a team from six different conferences through its first six matches. The six conferences include the Sun Belt (Marshall), Big East (UConn), Patriot League (Lehigh), Ivy League (Columbia), NEC (New Haven), and Siena (Metro).