Fairfield and Rider to Meet in Women's Soccer Championship
MAAC Sports
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – No. 2 seed Fairfield University will meet No. 4 seed Rider University in the final game of the 2014 MAAC Women’s Soccer Championship at Hesse Field on the campus of Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey on Sunday, November 9 at 3:00 p.m.
Second seed Fairfield (14-4-2) is back in the MAAC finals for the second consecutive season and making its tenth MAAC Championship final in program history. Fairfield is the only remaining fulltime MAAC member with multiple women’s soccer titles (7), with the last coming in 2008. The Stags make it to the championship game after receiving a first round bye, and beating Niagara on penalty kicks in the semifinal round.
Rider (12-5-2), the fourth seed in the field, is making its third title appearance in program history after tying a program record with 12 wins on the 2014 season in the semifinal round. The Broncs last two appearances in the finals were both losses to former MAAC member Loyola University in 2004 and 2002. Rider makes it to the championship game after beating Siena 2-1 in the first round, and defeating top seeded Monmouth 1-0 in the semifinal round.
The two teams met this season on September 27, when the Stags defeated the Broncs 1-0 at Lessing Field on Fairfield University’s campus. All-MAAC Second team selection Ashley Small scored the lone goal of the match with just under three minutes to play in regulation. Fairfield’s goalkeeper and All-MAAC First team member Kathleen Early made eight saves in the meeting, while Rider’s keeper and All-MAAC Second team choice Bethany-May Howard made one stop.
The winner of the 2014 MAAC Women’s Soccer Championship will earn the MAAC's automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship.
The NCAA Selection Show for Division I Women’s Soccer will air on NCAA.com on Monday, November 10 at 4:30 p.m.