LOUDONVILLE, NY – After claiming victory in an overtime thriller to begin the week at home, Siena Men's soccer (6-4-1, 2-1) will look to build upon recent success when it hosts conference rival Fairfield (2-6-1, 1-2) on Saturday, October 8, 2021 at 3 PM on Hickey Field.
Off to their best start through 11 matches since 1998 and a 2-1 mark in conference play for the first time since 2018, the Saints outlasted Saint Peter's at home on Wednesday to the tune of a 1-0 overtime win, with freshman defender
Henrik Winkelmann heading in the game-winner in the 95 minute.
The Saints now boast 13 different point scorers this season, and are 4-1 in Loudonville, with wins coning in each of their last three home matches. Siena holds a solid 8-5-1 home record since the start of the 2019 season, while 11 of the team's last 12 home matches have been decided by one goal or less, with the Saints holding a 7-3-2 mark during that time
Siena's underclassmen continue to lead the team offensively, with freshmen or sophomores accounting for the top five and six of seven point scorers. Freshman
Jacob Sandun Arachchige-Jensen's team-leading nine points have come off two goals and five assists, while sophomore
Bilal Hersi leads the Green and Gold with three goals. Freshman twins
Frederic Storodegard and
Thomas Storodegard each logged an assist off the game-winner on Wednesday, marking the second straight home game that the pair have been involved on a scoring play together.
The Saints and the Stags are set to face off for the first time since October 26, 2019 after not meeting during the 2020-21 season, with Fairfield holding a 20-7-5 all-time advantage in the series, which began in 1990. The Stags collected shutouts in each of the last two series matches, winning, 3-0, in 2019, and 1-0, at Hickey Field the year prior. Siena is in search of its first win against Fairfield since September 28, 2016, a 2-1 triumph at home.
Led by 26
th year head coach Carl Rees, Fairfield enters the weekend after dropping a 3-2 heartbreaker at Defending MAAC Champion Monmouth on Wednesday, with the Hawks closing the match with the game-winning goal in the final minute of play. The Stags' lone MAAC win this year came in 2-1 fashion over Niagara, with the team also shutting out Fairfield in non-conference play. Fairfield is led offensively by Jonathan Filipe and Thomas Drillen, who have each scored four times on the year.
Saturday's match will be aired on Siena All-Access, with Alex Feuz calling the action. The match can be viewed free of charge by simply logging onto sienasaints.com/watch or by clicking the corresponding link. A total of eight men's soccer home matches are scheduled to be broadcast this fall, including three on the ESPN Family of Networks.
Fans wishing to attend any Siena Athletics games held on campus are required to adhere to the Siena Athletics Spectator Policy. All spectators are required to complete the Siena Athletics Spectator Screening Form at sienasaints.com/spectatorregistration, and receive clearance to attend, prior to their arrival on campus. All spectators must be vaccinated to be able to attend and are required to bring proof of vaccination with them to campus. Unvaccinated children 12 and under must remain masked at all times. Spectators are requested to enter campus via Route 9 through the College's main gate on Loudon Road and check in at the Welcome Booth. All forms of tailgating are also currently prohibited at this time. This policy is guided by the alert level established by Siena College's COVID-19 Operations Team and is subject to change based on current conditions. Siena College and the athletic department will continue to monitor developments and alert spectators of any adjustments made to this policy.
