FAIRFIELD, CT – The Rider University men's soccer team fell to Fairfield, 3-0, Wednesday night on Lessing Field as the Stags staked claim to the 2017 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship. Fairfield improved to 11-4-2 (7-1-2 MAAC), while the Broncs slipped to 11-4-2 (6-2-2 MAAC).
The Stags take the top seed, a first-round bye and home field advantage throughout the MAAC Championships. Rider settles for the second seed, a first-round bye and a home semifinal contest against the highest advancing seed next Thursday, Nov. 9.
The Stags got goals in the 27
th (Matt McGlinchey), 54
th (Ben Wignall) and 75
th (Don Junior-Bobe) minutes against a Broncs line-up depleted by injury and caution considerations. Rider suited up a starting line-up that featured just six of its 11 usual starters.
Quotes and Notes
"It was tough going into this game with all the injuries that we had. Congratulations to Fairfield for winning the regular season title. Now we will get ready for the playoffs." –
Rider Head Coach Charlie Inverso
- With a 1-1 tie between Canisius and Manhattan, the Broncs entered the game ensured of a top two seed and a first-round bye. Canisius takes the No. 3 seed by virtue of a head-to-head victory with Fairfield on Sept. 27, with Manhattan claiming the No. 4 seed. Quinnipiac will be the No. 5 seed, while Iona rounds out the tournament field at No. 6. Iona will visit Canisius and Manhattan will entertain Quinnipiac on Sunday in the quarterfinals.
- Two Broncs –
Chase Ealy (Princeton, NJ) and
Taner Bay (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) - earned their first-career starts Wednesday.
Broncs By The Numbers
- Rider played a season-high 18 players with seven players seeing action off the bench.
- Fairfield now owns an 18-8-1 lead in the all-time series.
- The three-goal margin of defeat is the largest of the season for Rider. 12 of the Broncs' prior 16 games this season had been decided by one goal or less.
- Senior goalkeeper
David Pastuna (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) made four saves.
