LOUDONVILLE, NY – After going without a win in each of its previous three conference matches, Siena Men's Soccer knew they could use positive momentum heading into the 2022 MAAC Championship. After clinching a third straight trip to the postseason by virtue of other league results earlier in the day, the Saints (8-5-5, 4-2-4) concluded regular season action with a 2-0 shutout at Fairfield (8-8-1, 4-4-1) at Lessing Field in Fairfield, Connecticut on Wednesday evening.
The victory allowed the Green and Gold to lock up the No. 5 seed in the 2022 MAAC Championship, and sends them to take on No. 4 Niagara in the Quarterfinal round on Sunday, November 6. The Saints clinched a postseason berth for the third straight season under third-year head coach Graciano Brito, marking the team's first MAAC postseason three-peat since 2014-16.
Siena – who improved to 3-1-1 in road conference play this season – wasted no time in establishing itself in the match, with junior Bilal Hersi working an outside drive toward the middle of the field and dribbling off a shot to the right corner of the next in the second minute of play for his fourth goal of the season. After graduate student goalkeeper Greg Monroe successfully defended against a Fairfield penalty shot midway through the first half, sophomore Thomas Storodegard finished off a pass from junior Junior Kone to record his team-leading eighth goal of the year in the 42nd minute. The insurance goal gave the Baerums Verk, Norway product sole possession of the second-most goal in the league this season.
Fairfield – who out-shot the visitors, 16-11, in the match and 11-5 in the field half alone – could not get any offense going, despite drawing three of five corner kick opportunities in the final 45 minutes. Monroe recorded nine saves to secure his 17th career and the team's eighth clean sheet this season, which tied them for the most in a single year in program history (1998). Siena has now recorded eight or more wins for the first time in multiple seasons since 2014-16, and will have a chance to put together consecutive nine-win showings for the first time ever.
The Saints will now look to advance past the MAAC Quarterfinal round for the first time since 2016. Game time information and streaming coverage for Sunday's game can be found by following SienaSaints.com and @SienaSoccer on Twitter.
