By Andrew Badillo
After losing in last years MAAC Championship game the Monmouth Hawks defeated the Fairfield Stags 2-1 in the MAAC Championship game Sunday afternoon at the QU Soccer Field.
The first half saw minimal action, as neither team was able to generate much offense. Hawks goaltender, Eric Klenofsky, and Stags goaltender, Matt Turner, registered first half shutouts.
Fairfield’s Jordan Ayris broke the scoring stalemate in the 71minute firing a shot from long distance past Klenofski. However Monmouth would respond, but not without a little help from Fairfield. Stags’ defenseman Angus Hastings was sent off in the 80minute with a red card after an altercation between him and Monmouth’s David Acuna Camacho. The play proved to be the turning point in the game as Monmouth went a man up and they also earned a penalty too as Emmanuel Senyah Agyeyeng beat Turner to tie the game at 1-1 late.
Playing a man down for the rest of the game Fairfield was able to survive most of Monmouth’s offensive pressure. However towards the end of the second over time Dave Nigro scored the game-winning goal making the Hawks MAAC Champions and sending them to the NCAA tournament.
The Hawks will travel up to Cincinnati to play the Xavier Musketeers Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
