Fairfield University Faces No. 21 New Hampshire in NCAA Men’s Soccer First Round Action
EDISON, NJ – The 2017 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Champions, Fairfield University, heads to Durham, New Hampshire to take on No. 21 University of New Hampshire for an NCAA Men’s Soccer First Round contest on Thursday, November 16 at 7pm. The Wildcats and Stags last met in 2014 in the Mayor’s Cup with the Wildcats earning a 1-0 victory back on September 7, 2014.
The Stags hold the record among active MAAC members with five men’s soccer championships (2017, 2011, 2008, 2006, 1999) Fairfield’s road to the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship included advancing on penalty kicks, 3-2, over Quinnipiac in the semifinals and a 1-0 defeat of two-time defending MAAC Champions Rider on Sunday, November 12 in the MAAC Championship game. This is the fifth NCAA appearance for Fairfield all under 2017 BSN Sports MAAC Coach of the Year, Carl Rees.
Fairfield claimed the MAAC Men’s Soccer Regular Season Championship after going 7-1-2 in conference play. Since October 4, the Stags are 7-0-3 and have only allowed three goals over that stretch.
Unanimous All-Rookie team and All-MAAC Second team member Gordon Botterill was named to the All-Championship team. Ben Wignall and Jonathan Uy join Botterill on the All-Championship team with senior Angus Hastings named 2017 MAAC Men’s Soccer Championship MVP.
About the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship:
The 48-team field is made up of the champions of 24 conferences, who qualified automatically, in addition to 24 teams that were selected at-large. The top 16 teams were seeded and receive first round byes. All first-round games will be played Thursday, Nov. 16, on campus sites, while all second-round action will take place Sunday, Nov. 19. The third round will be played Nov. 25 and 26, while the quarterfinals will be played Dec. 1 and 2. The Men’s College Cup will be held Dec. 8 and 10 at Talen Energy Stadium in Philadelphia with live coverage on ESPNU for the semifinals and ESPN2 for the national championship game.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 37
th year of competition during the 2017-18 academic year. Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter's University, and Siena College.