FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- It's been a pretty good week for the Fairfield University men's soccer team. Earlier in the week, the Stags learned that they moved into the top 40 for RPI with its month-long unbeaten streak. The team reached 39 in the latest RPI rankings after it posted an eight-game unbeaten streak.

Tonight, the Stags capped their week with a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) regular season championship following their 2-0 win over Manhattan College. The victory improved the program's MAAC record to 7-0-1, keeping the team as the only MAAC team with an unbeaten conference record. Plus, the unbeaten streak went to 8-0-1, a run which started with a 1-0 win over Yale on September 23.

"I am really happy for this group of seniors," Head Coach Carl Rees said. "It's really great for the New Zealand lads to get their first championship as well."

Fairfield wasted little time against the Jaspers when Jon Clements split the defense and sent a through pass to Jordan Ayris, who went toward goal unchallenged and beat the goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead just 19 seconds into the game. The Stags defense took over from that point, allowing just two shots in the second half and four shots overall.
 
The Stags put the game away in the second half when Clements created his own opportunity in the 64^th minute. The forward stepped up to a free kick from 25 yards away and struck the ball perfectly, sending a shot into the far corner past the diving Manhattan goalkeeper for a 2-0 advantage with 27 minutes remaining.

"Jon is really a live wire," Rees said. "He is deadly from long range as he showed tonight. He has constant movement and energy which really creates problems for the opponent."

With the regular-season title in hand, the Stags will now concentrate on their next preseason goal of success in the MAAC tournament.

"We learned lessons early on th is year that we have clearly not forgotten late in the season," Rees said. "We achieved one of our goals which was to win the regular season title. Now we must complete our goals when we get to the MAAC tournament."
 
Fairfield will finish the regular season on Sunday when it hosts Saint Peter's College at Lessing Field. The Stags will enter the 2011 MAAC tournament as the top seed, which takes place from November 3-7 at Disney's Wide World of Sports in Orlando.