WVOF Greg Nero Interview

WVOF had the chance to talk with Greg Nero and this is what he had to say about his status, sickness, and the upcoming season:

Q: First and foremost, how are you feeling so far?
A: Pretty good I'm just happy to be back. I'm trying to get things going on all cylinders again. Mentally and physically, I'm not there yet but I'm very optimistic and I hope to contribute alot to the team this year.

Q: How hard is it to transition back into the college game?
A: It's tough. I mean physically it's alot [with] practice getting in shape. It's a pretty hard schedule to follow when you haven't done it in a couple of years and I'm still feeling kinda on edge about whether I can pull it yet off this year. But my performances have been going up each week so we're all pretty optimistic about how I will be doing this year.

Q: How did you feel about watching the team go all the way to the MAAC championship last year?
A: I was excited to see them do it because I thought they had more talent than Siena in the MAAC championship game and they could've had them really. I was excited to watch the new guards, Derek Needham and Colin Nickerson. I thought they looked really good. I thought they have a lot more potential to develop. I am also excited about the new freshmen we have coming in this year. I think we can do something special this year.

Q: Is there any one game you're looking forward to in particular?
A: I'm looking forward to playing against Siena because I want to give my best shot to them. The last two years I felt like I haven't been able to give them my best shot. I want to redeem myself. So, I'm looking forward to the first time we play Siena, especially at the Times Union Center. I want to beat them there at home.

Q: Can you make a pitch for the Fairfield students to attend the basketball games?
A: Come to our games. We're picked pre-season number one this year or we should be. We got a full stacked lineup and it's going to be fun. It's going to be exciting. So come on it's gonna be a good time at Alumni Hall or Harbor Yard.

Q: You're probably going to be preseason number one. Is there any added pressure on the team?
A: There's always pressure every year, particularly this year. We have a lot of expectations probably for our team but we set our own expectations. We don't really worry about what the media or the fans want us to do. We already have high expectations for ourselves and we want to achieve our goals. We want to be the top team come the conference tournament in March.

Fairfield Ranked Number 1 in Connecticut 6

The Fairfield Stags men's basketball team has been chosen as number 1 in the Connecticut 6 preseason poll. For the full story click here.

The votes were comprised of the 6 schools in the Connecticut 6:
1) Fairfield
2) Quinnipiac
3) Central Connecticut
4t) Yale
4t) Sacred Heart
6) Hartford

- The Stags will play Sacred Heart in the first game of the tournament at 4PM. Tickets for the event are $15 for adults $5 for students and kids ages 2-12.

- You can buy your tickets at (203) 745-3000 or click here.

Gettin Lite is back on

WVOF has announced that Gettin Lite is back on the air for it's third season. It will actually be filmed and broadcasted for the Ham Channel and Youtube. Past guests include:

Derek Needham
Yorel Hawkins
Stephanie Geehan
Desiree Pina
Brianna Dixion

The show will be on the air Tuesdays at 8PM and on youtube whenever the show is finished editing.

New Hampshire 1 Fairfield 0

The Fairfield Stags Men's Soccer team (1-3-4) was shutout by the New Hampshire Wildcats (5-0-2) last night. Click for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:
- The lone goal of the game came just 5 minutes into the first half. Michael O'Keeffe had a solid 85:00 of shutout soccer tallying up 9 saves.

- The Stags were out shot 10-5 on goal.

- Fairfield has not won since September 6th. They are 0-2-3 over that span.

Just like the women's soccer team I am concerned about the offense. They did have lots of shots. The bright spot of this is that the players you rely on all had these shots on goal. Jon Clements the freshmen, had two shots on goal and Erik Ilisije had 1 of his own. It's the law of averages. If they keep shooting it and making the best of their opportunities then these goals will end up touching the back of the net sooner or later.

Up Next:
The Stags travel to battle the University of Rhode Island on Saturday, October 2nd.

Princeton 2 Fairfield 0

The Fairfield Stags women's soccer team (4-5-1) were shut out again this time at the hands of the Princeton Tigers (5-3). Click for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:
-Kelly Boudreau had 11 saves in the contest 9 of those came in the first half. The Stags were out shot 10-1 in the first half and 17-4 in the game.

-With this shut out the Stags haven't scored a goal in 290 minutes! They have not touched net in nearly 2 weeks.

-The Stags offensive stars including preseason player of the year Jasmin Corniel, 2009 preseason player of the year Nicole Cavallaro, and Casey Frobey each have only one goal on the season.

I'm really worried about the Stags offense this season. After their loss to army their coach pointed out that they do not play an entire game and they are falling out early. The Stags enter MAAC play reeling on the offensive side. This is Princeton and the Stags have never beat Princeton in their program history but I am sure that coach O'Brien was not happy with the team being out shot 10-1 in the first half. Maybe this promising offense needs to get into conference play to be successful but their forwards are STACKED.

Up Next:
The Stags will host Harvard on Tuesday October 5th at 6 PM. The Stags have not scored a goal in over 300 minutes at Lessing Field. Fairfield has also never beaten Harvard with a 0-4-2 career record against the Crimson.

Exciting Home Games might be empty

This past week the Fairfield men's basketball team announced their complete 2010-2011 schedule. To view the complete schedule click here.

In a year when the buzz around campus is how good the basketball will be and the promise that they have. In a year when the coaches and players have guaranteed an appearance in the championship game. In a year when record attendance figures are being set for the fall sports including 950 fans attending the Women's Soccer game aganist Boston College, most people would expect an exciting and popular season for the men's basketball team.

However, that might not be. A couple of exciting and much hyped games will be affected due to the campus vacation days and location changes. These games include:

Sacred Heart (played at Mohegan Sun)

St. Josephs (tournament game, Thanksgiving break)

Vermont (Christmas break)

Army (possible Alumni Hall game)

Niagara

St. Peters

St. Joseph's is arguably the most hyped non conference home game of the season while the Army game is another example of one of the few Alumni Hall games occuring when no one is on campus.

This may just be some bad luck and the attendance figures are sure to be broken during the MAAC Championships in the Arena this year. But it would have been nice to have the student's support before the tournament and get even more hype on campus.

Volleyball Returns Home

The students and parents filed in and sat in the cold vacant benches of Alumni Hall. A buzz drew over the crowd as the back and forth match reached its high point. The music of the band echoed in the hollowed walls of the dome. For the first time since last year the fans sat and watched a sporting event at Alumni Hall. The Fairfield University Volleyball Team competed in its first home game since November 15^th of last year. It has been 10 months and 10 days, but the dominant varsity team was back in action on Saturday. Head coach Ajila Pittinger enjoys playing on campus, "You got to love playing at Alumni, the place is awesome, the band is great, the fans are really loud and it really helps us." Over the past four years the Stags have marveled in home-court advantage going 50-1 against their conference opponents inside the confines of Alumni.

The Stags have won six-straight regular season crowns. The squad has tallied up 3 championships in their historic MAAC program. Since their first year, Fairfield has been a MAAC Volleyball powerhouse.

A big reason for their recent past success is their former middle blocker Katie Mann. She was one of the best players to ever put on a Fairfield volleyball uniform, ranking first all-time in blocks and hitting percentage while also ranking third all-time in kills. She became the Stag's Super-Mann. "She was definitely someone we looked to every time we needed a kill," Pittinger said. The third year head coach saw the superstar shine through her historic stay here but knows the program has to move on and needs a total team effort, "instead of being replaced by one person I think we're looking to everybody on the team."

The Stags have these pieces in place to improve on their heart-breaking upset at the hands of the Marist Red Foxes in last year's MAAC semifinals. Red shirted junior, Alex Lopez returns to the lineup in a different role this season. The former outside hitter suffered an injury that ended her season before it even started. Through her career she has been known as a perennial offensive option. She must now rely on her defense being the team's new libero. "She has always had great ball control," Pittinger said. The Colorado native is a former All-MAAC Second team selection and has amassed 375 kills in her four years. She is joined by two other new comers for the 2010 season, including fellow Rockies native, Rachel Romansky. The freshmen setter has enjoyed early success already placing sixth on the team in kills. Combine that with her 425 assists and the Stags might have found a promising four-year starter. With the impossible task of trying to replace the most successful middle blocker in school history is Hailey Moyer. The first year player has displayed some of the skills that show why she is starting so early into her collegiate career. "They've been a huge part of the team and I don't think you can ask for more," Pittinger said.

This is a new team with a different feel. They struggled early in the year falling to a 1-9 record before starting MAAC play. The goal of this team, that was picked to finish second in the MAAC, is to get better and continue to improve throughout the season. The thrilling win over Manhattan is a prime example, "I think earlier in the season I'm not sure we would have necessarily pulled out that fifth set," Pittinger said. They improved to a 4-0 conference record and have only dropped two total sets in those games. The coach believes that this team seems to develop more confidence when playing the familiar opponents. With the progressive play of this promising team, Saturday was the first chapter to a magical story at Alumni Hall.

A look at Fairfield Men's Basketball OOC Schedule

There are 52 days left until the Stags tip off the year. The 2010-2011 Stags will face 10 different conferences in their out-of-conference schedule. Coach Cooley has said that, "this could be our most challenging non-conference schedule since I've been at Fairfield". The Stags will play four home games with the biggest name being Saint Joe's on November 23rd. Throughout the next 52 days we will have an in-depth look at each game to get you ready for the season.

11/13 vs Sacred Heart University at Mohegan Sun
This game will kick off the Stags 2010 season. It will be part of the 2nd annual "Connecticut 6" series of games. For the first time this rivalry game will not be played at the Arena at Harbor Yard.

The last time these two teams faced each other it was a breakout game of freshman Derek Needham. This was the game when people started looking at how good the first year player was. The guard recorded a double double with 19 points and a game high 14 assists. The Stags won 93-77. The Pioneers are a very young team they graduated their 4 top scorers from a year ago and around 75% of their total offense last year. The player to watch out for in this freshman class is Chris Evans. He was one of the most highly regarded prospects in Connecticut.

Personally I don't know why this game is being played at Mohegan Sun. I mean it's great to have a good venue for this rivalry game but this was one of the few games the Fairfield fans actually attended. If your going to complain that no one goes to the games than don't take away one of the most hyped games. It doesn't become a rivalry when both schools are an hour away from the venue. In a year where Women's Soccer drew 950 people on a Friday night and both teams are the buzz on campus already, record attendance figures might be in store.

The Pioneers do not have what it takes to keep up with the Stags and the Stags should roll over them and win the opening game of the year.

PREDICTION: Stags 90 Pioneers 60

Kelly Boudreau Interview

Stags goalie Kelly Boudreau was a guest of the WVOF show Gettin Lite. In the interview she talked about:

-How the defense is really good but the offense has been struggling. She does feel that they have the offensive fire power to succeed.

-She says the team's goal is to win the MAAC and then win the game in the NCAA Tournament.

-Coach O'Brien has been a real help for her. Every time she allows a goal he critiques in how she can improve.

-Coach O'Brien was the main reason she came to Fairfield

-The loss to UMASS was a downslide and the team had no excuse for losing it.

-Spenser Allaway is one of the best players on the team.

Jac Ley wins MAAC Rookie of the Week

Stags freshmen Jac Ley was named MAAC Rookie of the Week. For a complete recap click here. Ley scored her first two collegiate goals aganist Stony Brook and currently leads the team with 4 points and two goals.

This is the common theme for the team this year. All four of the originally drafted freshmen have played significant minutes in each game and have played very well. They really look like the real deal and do not get the credit that they deserve. Yes they will make the rookie mistake but for the most part it looks like the Stags can get 4 MAAC All-Rookie team players.

Michael O'Keeffe wins MAAC Defensive Player of the Week

Stags goalie Michael O'Keeffe has won his second consective MAAC Defensive Player of the Week. He allowed 1 goal in his last three games including a shutout aganist Boston College. He had a 333 minute consecitive scoreless streak snapped and leads the MAAC in save percentage and goals per game.

Very underrated in terms of the MAAC and Fairfield. He has the chance to be one of the best players to ever put on a Stags uniform. I mean, he was named to the all-MAAC first team last year and is well on his way to be named that again.

Fans miss Majok Majok

In the recent poll entitle "What is the biggest adversity for the Stags" the fans overwhelmingly chose the loss of Majok Majok. Here are the results:

Loss of Majok Majok 54%
Greg Nero Injury 28%
Yorel Hawkins' Knee 8%
Warren Edney Ankle 8%
Sean Crawford Foot 0%
Loss of Adam Jones 0%

I personally voted for the Greg Nero injury and think there is too much stock put into Majok Majok. Yes he is a big loss. Yes the recruiting class is much weaker without him. But when Greg Nero played in 2008 he was the Stags BEST player. To have a potential all-MAAC player come in maybe at 75% and the possibility of being at 100% by the MAAC tournament is still better than an uknown commodity. Who says Majok Majok would have made an impact? Maybe he finds a difficult tranisition to the college game. We will never know.

You can also make the argument for Warren Edney injury being big. Cooley and others have described him as a "player of the year" candidate when he is healthy. Early in 2008 he was a big surprise and had a great early portion of the season. That being said, Cooley admits that he does not think Edney will ever fully recover and remember he has not played in almost 2 years! There will surely be rust and who knows if he will ever get back to his old form?

Fairfield Needs a Score

Once again, the Fairfield side of the scoreboard on Lessing Field was lit up by a faint yellow 0. The Fairfield Stag's women's soccer team was shutout for the third time in their last four games. This time they were the victims of the defense of the Black Knights of Army. The squad has been struggling with the home-field advantage and have not scored a goal on campus in over 300 minutes, that's since August 27^{th, four} home games ago. "We have six attacking personality type of players on the field at any one time we definitely should be doing more in the way of sustaining attack," head coach Jim O'Brien said after the loss. The sixth year head coach has seen glimpses of the potential that highlights this team's offensive attack but not throughout the whole game. "We're not putting together long periods of good play," he said. The stats prove it. Fairfield is 0-4 when falling behind but are undefeated when scoring the first goal of the game.

This slumping group does have the talent. When the offense is clicking, they have the talent to be one of the best in the league. The attack of the team is arguably the most experienced group on the field. The forwards are led by the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, Jasmin Corniel who was also the team's leading scorer just a year ago. The junior was named to the NSCAA All-Northeast Regional team in 2009 which shows the promise that she possesses.

Red shirted senior Casey Frobey brings the experience that any squad vitally needs. The team captain is one of the most successful attackers in program history ranking sixth in points with 72 and career goals with 28.

Also, the Stags welcomed Spenser Allaway back into the lineup on Thursday at Stony Brook. It was her first game since last year and she returned with a bang scoring the game winning goal as the Stags got the road win 3-0 against the Sea Wolves. "She is definitely one of our top players and it's very nice to have her back," O'Brien said. The junior was named to the All-MAAC First team in her sophomore season and will look to increase the Stags offense.

In order for the Stags to tally up the goals they are going to need to have those "long periods of good play" O'Brien mentioned. "We're wasting time," the coach emphasized. The upcoming road will not be as tough as their previous opponents. 2 of their last three shutouts came against Boston College and Army. The Eagles were ranked fifth in the country at that time and the Black Knights have only allowed three goals this season. Two of those were allowed in their previous game versus Brown. The Stags will try to flush away their Lessing Field scoreless drought against Hartford. Will the tides turn for the 4-4 Stags? Watch as they battle the Hawks on Thursday night at 7PM.

Army 1 Fairfield 0

The Fairfield Stags women's soccer team (4-4) were shutout by the Army Black Knights (7-2) this afternoon. The Stags are now 1-3 in home games this year. Click for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:

-Fairfield has been shutout 3 straight games at home.

-Army is ranked 7th in the NSCAA Mid Atlantic Region

-The Black Knights have only allowed 3 goals all year.

I liked what I saw out of the team in the second half. They came out aggressive and really had Army on its heels and almost tied up the game but Jasmin Corniel's shot was saved by a diving Alex Lostetter to keep the lead. I am a little worried about the Stag's offense and how can you not be. They haven't scored a goal at home for over 300 minutes and have been shutout in three of their last 4 games. O'Brien says it's because they don't play a full game and I agree. They are 0-4 when trailing this season but undefeated when they score the first goal.

Up Next:

The Stags will take on the Hartford Hawks on Thursday at 7 PM.

Fairfield 3 Stony Brook 0

The Fairfield Stags women's basketball team (4-3) shutout the Stony Brook Seawolves (0-7-1) last night. The Stags snap their three game losing streak. Click for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:

- Spenser Allaway played in her first game of the season and also recorded her first game winning goal of the year. It is her 7th career GWG.

- Jac Ley scored her first two collegiate goals in the contest.

- Shannon Fay assisted on 2 out of the three goals.

- Kelly Boudreau made 8 saves to complete the shutout

This is what the Stags needed. I know it is aganist a winless team but it is the way that they won. They got that little spark from a returning player in Spenser Allaway. It is great to see her play again. She has dealt with so many injuries during her career and she has shown that she has the talent. She was named to the All-MAAC First Team last year and she is defintely an ignitor to the offense.

One of the main reasons why I love Coach O'Brien is he is great at getting the whole team involved. The four main freshmen recruits have played in every game and have all made a big impact. I really think it is a very talented class and will enjoy watching them all season.

Up Next:

The Stags will host Army on Sunday at 1PM. The Black Knights are currently third in the nation in defense.

WVOF Goes Mobile

Attention Stags Fans!
We have some awesome news from here at WVOF. WVOF GOES MOBILE. Over the summer we created an iPhone app that is now available in the app store (or by clicking here)

In the App you can listen to both streams of WVOF (FM and Web studio), view a live and dynamic schedule of each studio among other things!

Don't have an iPhone and don't want to get one? We have you covered...

Visit the mobile store on your mobile device to listen to streams on some different platforms like BlackBerry and Android (some instructions are available on the site).

The WVOF Sports team was able to test the app and it works GREAT. We had it running on an iPhone, plugged into a car stereo through the tape adaptor and we got virtually uninterrupted playback from here to Hartford. We are real excited to offer Stags sports fans the opportunity to listen to YOUR Fairfield Stags all season ANYWHERE.

For more information send an email to wvofiphone@gmail.com

GO STAGS!

Fairfield 0 Boston College 0

The Fairfield Stags Men's soccer team (1-1-3) battled #13 Boston College (2-0-2) to a scoreless draw last night. It is the second straight tie for the Stags. Click here for a complete recap.

The Least You Should Know:
-Michael O'Keeffe extended his scoreless streak to 281 minutes. He made 5 saves in the contest including a diving stop in the closing minutes.

-The Eagles outshot the Stags 17-11 including 6-3 on goal.

-In the 99th minute, Fairfield's shot hit the crossbar and Adam Cowen got the rebound but the Eagle's goalkeeper managed to save it and force a second overtime

Do the Stags win this game with Jack Burridge? It's questionable but you can certainly make the argument. All-in-all this is a GREAT game for the Stags. I mean even though they did not pull off the upset they showed that they can go face to face with some of the best teams. For a team that lost aganist winless Albany to start the year this is a HUGE step in the right direction and with only a few non-conference games left, this team might be getting hot at the right time.

Up Next:
The Stags play their sixth straight home game as they host the Northeastern Huskies Friday at 7PM.

The First Step to Greatness

The Fairfield University men's basketball team will welcome three new freshmen for the 2010-2011 season. At the end of the last school year, Coach Cooley thought there would be five new recruits, but with the departure of Adam Jones and Majok Majok, the team will try to pick up the pieces. Without these two players, the Stags still have a respectable incoming class. Fairfield was recently featured on the front page of ESPN.com recruiting page. Last year, we were one basket away from heading to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997. But it was all about the impact player. Derek Needham flew under everyone's radar. The MAAC Rookie of the Year, was the best rookie that the program has every seen and arguably the best the conference has ever seen. Will this class have an impact player? A Needham impact player?

#23 Jamel Fields (Albany NY) Every place you look there is one word that you see over and over again. Intangible. According to scout.com, a 2 star recruit who is a strong finisher at the rim. This will blend well with Needham and Colin Nickerson who I feel are great finishers at the rim. Cooley and the scouts have also commented on his speed and quickness. This is going to be a strength for this team. They are going to have to try and combat for the lack of height through their speed. This is basically a guard team who can keep up with anyone on the floor.

Field's downsides include his decision making. This is one aspect that I am not worried about when it comes learning under Coach Cooley. Derek Needham grew so much last year if you look at the start and end of the season. Needham made some awful decisions on the court the first part of the year making some crucial turnovers. By the end of the year he became on of the best passers in school history. I do expect any freshman to struggle with decisions when arriving on the college scene. It is only human nature. So many differences exist between the college and high school games. What really shows your skill and talent is your ability to fight through it.

ESPN Grade: 82

#41 Keith Matthews (Sebastian FL) He was his high-schools all-time winningest player with 86 victories through his four years. Also racking up a program record 1,867 points which led him to a McDonalds All-American nominee.

ESPN calls this guy a great playmaker who plays like an oversixed power forward because of his lack of offensive skills. I have talked to people who have said that Cooley feels like Matthews could be "the best player [I] have ever coached." They say that he is athletic and can finish above the rim. I have never seen this guy play but they say he can be explosive.

What worries me is that he is not going to be able to use his size aganist the people in the college game. At only 6'5'' the same moves that he used in high school simply wont work now.

ESPN Grade: 78

#15 Maurice Barrow (Middle Village NY) This is the guy that many sources have as our new impact player. His scouting report, however, does not lead up to a Derek Needham impact player. "He is a jack of all trades and a master of none," ESPN says. "He possesses the versatility and willingness to be a valuable role player at the mid-major level," the report continues. He averaged 12.4 PPG and 6.5 rebounds per game as a senior and led his team to the CHSAA Class AA intersectional championship by recording a double-double.

His skills include his strength and being able to score with both hands around the basket. The Stags are going to NEED a replacement for Anthony Johnson who was able to do that same thing. They need an offensive presence who can change the momentum of the game. Peanut was able to get the fans behind the team with his monstrous dunks and that is something that the Stags might have to rely on Barrow to do.

ESPN Rank 84

Who will be the next Derek Needham impact player? Will there be one? With the lingering injuries the Stags are going to experience this year they are need to going to have depth. Needham and Nickerson added that bench depth and both were dangerous when they were on the floor. Can this class be the same thing? Or will it be like the 2008 class in which Brandon Davis, Jamal Turner, and Shimeek Johnson all have transferred and only Ryan Olander and Sean Crawford is left? We will find out. And the journey should be fun.

Jack Burridge out for season

Stags forward Jack Burridge will be out for the season due to an injury sustained on the game on Saturday. The leading scorer from last year suffered broken bones in his elbow and dislocated other parts and underwent a three hour surgery. He will redshirt and should be good for next year.

This is a big setback for the Stags losing their leading scorer again. As shown last year in the MAAC Championships and the first two games of this year they are not the same team without him. The Stags were 1-0-1 with Burridge in the lineup this year. This is the second year he will miss time with an injury.

The First Step to Greatness

The Fairfield University men's basketball team will welcome three new freshmen for the 2010-2011 season. At the end of the last school year, Coach Cooley thought there would be five new recruits, but with the departure of Adam Jones and Majok Majok, the team will try to pick up the pieces. Without these two players, the Stags still have a respectable incoming class. Fairfield was recently featured on the front page of ESPN.com recruiting page. Last year, we were one basket away from heading to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997. But it was all about the impact player. Derek Needham flew under everyone's radar. The MAAC Rookie of the Year, was the best rookie that the program has every seen and arguably the best the conference has ever seen. Will this class have an impact player? A Needham impact player?

#23 Jamel Fields (Albany NY) Every place you look there is one word that you see over and over again. Intangible. According to scout.com, a 2 star recruit who is a strong finisher at the rim. This will blend well with Needham and Colin Nickerson who I feel are great finishers at the rim. Cooley and the scouts have also commented on his speed and quickness. This is going to be a strength for this team. They are going to have to try and combat for the lack of height through their speed. This is basically a guard team who can keep up with anyone on the floor.

Field's downsides include his decision making. This is one aspect that I am not worried about when it comes learning under Coach Cooley. Derek Needham grew so much last year if you look at the start and end of the season. Needham made some awful decisions on the court the first part of the year making some crucial turnovers. By the end of the year he became on of the best passers in school history. I do expect any freshman to struggle with decisions when arriving on the college scene. It is only human nature. So many differences exist between the college and high school games. What really shows your skill and talent is your ability to fight through it.

ESPN Grade: 82

#41 Keith Matthews (Sebastian FL) He was his high-schools all-time winningest player with 86 victories through his four years. Also racking up a program record 1,867 points which led him to a McDonalds All-American nominee.

ESPN calls this guy a great playmaker who plays like an oversixed power forward because of his lack of offensive skills. I have talked to people who have said that Cooley feels like Matthews could be "the best player [I] have ever coached." They say that he is athletic and can finish above the rim. I have never seen this guy play but they say he can be explosive.

What worries me is that he is not going to be able to use his size aganist the people in the college game. At only 6'5'' the same moves that he used in high school simply wont work now.

ESPN Grade: 78

#15 Maurice Barrow (Middle Village NY) This is the guy that many sources have as our new impact player. His scouting report, however, does not lead up to a Derek Needham impact player. "He is a jack of all trades and a master of none," ESPN says. "He possesses the versatility and willingness to be a valuable role player at the mid-major level," the report continues. He averaged 12.4 PPG and 6.5 rebounds per game as a senior and led his team to the CHSAA Class AA intersectional championship by recording a double-double.

His skills include his strength and being able to score with both hands around the basket. The Stags are going to NEED a replacement for Anthony Johnson who was able to do that same thing. They need an offensive presence who can change the momentum of the game. Peanut was able to get the fans behind the team with his monstrous dunks and that is something that the Stags might have to rely on Barrow to do.

ESPN Rank 84

Who will be the next Derek Needham impact player? Will there be one? With the lingering injuries the Stags are going to experience this year they are need to going to have depth. Needham and Nickerson added that bench depth and both were dangerous when they were on the floor. Can this class be the same thing? Or will it be like the 2008 class in which Brandon Davis, Jamal Turner, and Shimeek Johnson all have transferred and only Ryan Olander and Sean Crawford is left? We will find out. And the journey should be fun.

Erik Ilisije and Michael O' Keeffe earn all-MAAC honors

Fairfield Stags forward Erik Ilisije and goalie Michael O'Keeffe earned all MAAC honors from the previous week. For the complete story click here.

Ilisije scored 2 goals in the week with both of the tallies coming in a 2-1 win aganist the Yale Bulldogs on Lessing Field. Those were his first two points of the season and currently leads the team in scoring.

This seems to be a trademark for Ilisije. He seems to score in bunches. Last year he had a couple of multi goal games and finished with 6 on the season.

Michael O'Keeffe earned MAAC Defensive player of the week after only allowing one goal in over 180 minutes of play. The sophomore earned First Team All-MAAC last year and recorded his first shutout of the 2010 campaign. For the season he has allowed 1.09 goals per game.

I am happy for O'Keeffe because the talent is there. He struggled early and started to get down on himself. I talked with him after the tie with Bradley and he seemed upset. He told me that he apologized to his coach after the game, as well. Nice bounce back for the Kiwi. When he is on, he is one of the best in the MAAC.

Women's Soccer needs to bounce back

After a scorching start to the season, the Fairfield University women's soccer team has cooled off in their last three games. The team experienced their lowest point of the season when they were shut out by UMASS on a chilly Sunday. Coach Jim O'Brien had only one word to describe the loss: "embarrassed."

The team has now dropped to .500 after starting the season winning 3 in a row without allowing a goal. Since then, the team has been outscored 8-1 and has been outshot 73-18 over that span.

Despite the recent slide, this team has shown promise. They nearly upset #22 Georgetown by managing to bring them into overtime, and held their own against Boston College, the fifth best team in the country. Coming into this year, the Stags knew that this difficult schedule, which featured back-to-back games against nationally ranked teams, would test their skill and depth. "It's always important for us to have a challenging non-conference schedule," O' Brien said. The sixth year head coach has seen many successful teams at Fairfield. He ranks second in wins on the all-time school list and has led the Stags to at least nine wins in each of his seasons and a NCAA Tournament bid in two of those years. You can say he knows talent. And he sees the promise of this team, comparing them to the 2008 team. That squad received 16 votes in the final NSCAA National poll by winning the MAAC championship and only losing by a goal in the Big Dance.

The one aspect of the game that he is most worried about is the team's inability to bounce back after adversity. "The way games are scheduled is to play Friday and Sunday, so you have to get over the tough losses." The ability to recuperate after these types of games defines the character of any team. It would be hard for any group who just had a heartbreaking narrow upset to come back and play an even better school in less than a week. However, O'Brien can see this now and is trying to improve early in the campaign. The loss to UMASS might have been the wakeup call that the team needed. "It's back to the drawing board," O'Brien sighed. If Fairfield is to be successful they are going to have to not just forget but learn from this "embarrassing" loss. That journey will begin when the team travels to Stony Brook on Thursday. Maybe it is a change of scenery that will help propel this promising team and have all their talent pay off.

UMASS 4 Fairfield 0

The Fairfield Stags women's soccer team (3-3) were shutout by UMASS (3-2) yesterday at Lessing Field. Click here for a complete boxscore and recap.

The Least You Should Know:

-Coach O'Brien called the loss "in one word embarassing."

-The Stags have now lost 3 in a row.

-They have been outshot 71-18 in that span.

This was as bad of a loss you can get. For a team that held their own aganist two nationally ranked teams, to show up flat and get blown out by UMASS is really an embarassment. They really just showed no life and some of the goals looked like it could have been prevented if it wasn't for mishandling by the defense.

Up Next:

The Stags will travel to Stony Brook on Thursday at 7 PM.

Ronald Moore and Kenny Hasbrouck Plead Guilty to DUI

Former Siena Saints Kenny Hasbrouck and Ronald Moore have pleaded guilty to DUI that had taken place earlier this year. According to sources, both plead guilty to reduced charges on Monday. Hasbrouck, who was part of the Miami Heat last season, plead guilty to one count of DUI, which is a misdemeanor. Ronald Moore, who led the nation in assists in 2009 and is the all-time
Saints leader in assists, pleaded guilty to driving while ability impaired and facilitating unlicensed operation of a vehicle.

Both paid fines of $900 and they have to take instructional classes before they can drive again.

Fairfield Selected Number One in Four Preseason Polls

The Fairfield University Men's basketball team has been selected to win the MAAC in four different preseason media polls. According to the Bleacher Report, the Stags will finish first in front of the Sienna Saints, the Iona Gails, and the Saint Peter Peacocks respectfully.

However, the Bleacher Report states that the Stags top recruit, Majok Majok, will be an impact player. As you all know, Majok will no longer be a Stag in the upcoming season. The report also states that the only key loss to Fairfield is former center Anthony Johnson. They fail to mention the loss of MAAC sixth man of the year, Mike Evanovich. This former fifth year senior was a deadly threat at the three point line and made many clutch shots for Coach Cooley, most notably the buzzer beating shot to complete a twenty-seven point comeback against George Mason.

It's also interesting that they picked the Saints to finish second. The Sienna loses three of their big four from their last year, including their head coach, Fran McCaffrey who went to the Iowa Hawkeyes. Also, with the injury to Clarence Jackson can the Saints utilize all of their returning players. In order for the Saints to be successful, Jackson will need to have a breakout season.

Men's Lacrosse starts fall practice

The Fairfield University Men's Lacrosse team had their first official yesterday morning, according to sources. It was the first organized practice for the Stags as they will play 2 games in a tournament to continue their fall training. In these two games they will play Lehigh and Detroit Mercy. They will then host one Alumni game that will conclude their fall schedule.

Well, this s obviously the first step for an excited season. Last year they defeated the national runner up Notre Dame when they were ranked third in the country. Many people expect this team to make a national impact and hopefully we can make the NCAA Tournament next year.

Geehan to play in Israel

Former Stags forward Stephanie Geehan has signed a contract to play professionally in Israel. For the complete story click here.

According to sources, she will play for the Elizur Maccabi Netanya of the Israeli Women's Professional League this upcoming year. This is a team that has finished fourth in the league last year.

Geehan is the all-time MAAC and Fairfield shot blocker as well as a 1,000 point and 1,000 rebounder.

I am so thrilled for Geehan playing professionally. She was my favorite player on the team and it seemed like she could do no wrong on the court. Almost every game she filled up the boxscore with every single statistic and sometimes it was unheard of what she was able to do. She made following the 2009-2010 team exciting because you never knew what she would be able to do in the game. Good Luck!

Majok Majok officially gone

Chris Elsberry of the CT Post has reported that Majok Majok is officially done with Fairfield. "His career is over before it ever began," the reporter states. Cooley says that Majok was not elgible with the NCAA and that "it stinks that he is gone." With the loss the Stags have two players who are above 6'5'' with Olander and Nero.

Not surprising news but it is finally official. It says that he has the option to play at the Division II level or go to a prep school. Fairfield will have the option to recruit him for the 2011-2012 season but so will every other team.

Warren Edney still feeling pain

According to Chris Elsberry of the CT Post, Stags head coach Ed Cooley has stated that senior forward Warren Edney is still bothered by his right Achilles heel. This is the same injury that kept him out all of last year and most of the 2008 season. Cooley expects that Edney will have to play with some amount of pain this season. Edney averaged 9.1 PPG and shot 45% from the floor in 13 games in 2008.

Bad news just keep on mounting for the Stags. Edney showed alot of life and promise in 2008 until he got hurt. I mean scoring 22 points aganist Memphis and hitting the game winning shot aganist Iona was impressive. The Stags are still a good team without him but WITH him they could be dominant.

Kelly Boudreau named MAAC Defensive Player of the Week

Fairfield goalie Kelly Boudreau was named MAAC Defensive Player of the Week. This is the fourth time that the junior was awarded this honor in her career. The Farmington, Connecticut native played every second in goal for the Stags recording 13 saves and only allowing a .95 GAA. Through the first four games of the season she already has 3 shutouts and a dental floss .49 GAA!

Fairfield 2 Yale 1

The Fairfield Stags men's soccer team (1-1-1) edged the Yale Bulldogs (0-2) by the score of 2-1 to win their first game of the season. Click here for a complete recap.

The Least You Should Know:

-Erik Ilisije scored both Fairfield goals including the GWG in the second overtime. It was his first two goals of the season.

- Jack Burridge played in his first game after missing nearly six over the past two years.

- Michael O'Keeffe made a great diving stop to keep the game tied in overtime.

- The Stags outshot their opponent once again by a 11-8 margin.

This is the game that you want to see from the Stags and I do not think it is a coincidence that this happened when Jack Burridge returned to the lineup. He was their leading scorer last year and they do not look the same without him.

This was the third straight game where the Stags held the edge in the shot category. If they continue this then their scoring will have to increase. That is an important stat.

Up Next:

The Stags will play their fourth straight home game Saturday afternoon when they host UMASS at 2:00

Pictures from last night's loss

Check out the Georgetown athletic website for great still pictures of the loss.

Georgetown 2 Fairfield 1

The Fairfield Stags women's soccer team (3-1) became the latest victim of the #22 Georgetown Hoya (6-0) during the final game of the D.C. Invitational. For a complete recap click here.

The Least you should know:

-Ingrid Wells scored the first goal aganist the Stags this season during a penalty kick at 16:47 snapping a 286:47 shutout streak.

-After a missed penalty kick by the Hoyas, Shannon Fay turned it into a transition score. It was her first of her career.

-Samantha Baker made the game winning goal in overtime to stay undefeated.

-Kelly Boudreau made a season high 9 saves.

-The Hoyas outshot the Stags 24-4

This overtime loss made me believe in this team. I know they allowed 24 shots but they were only one kick away from taking down the 22nd best team in the nation. The Stags had looked dominant in their first 3 games and I hope that if this loss affects them it is only positive outlooks of the season.

Up Next:

The Stags will take on another ranked team when they host the #6 ranked Boston College Eagles Friday night on Lessing Field starting at 7 PM.

Tracy Austin Interview

To kick off the premiere of the Sports Edge they will be playing an interview that they have done with former world number one tennis player and 2 time US Open champion Tracy Austin. The interview will be played at 3:00 Look at the post below for more information.

Sports Edge Returns

It was announced today that the WVOF sports show the "Sports Edge" will return to the airwaves starting on Tuesday, September 7th. It will mainly be a weekly show from 2-4 hosted and run by the students as always. Mostly about pro-sports but there is some talk about Fairfield basketball throughout the season and I have heard that they are trying to have a whole section dedicated to MAAC basketball when they will have an interview from a player on each team in the MAAC!

I actually listen to this show in the past when it was on this time slot. Last year, they had to change the time because of schedules and everything but it is actually run well and I do like it.

So listen 88.5 and click here to listen to the web stream

Men's Soccer still excited for upcoming year

The 2010-2011 Fairfield Stags men's soccer season kicked off Wednesday night against the University of Albany, the first of their long home stand to begin the campaign. Throughout their successful history, Fairfield has been blessed with teams that were considerable threats in their conference, the region, and in some years the nation. The team hopes that this upcoming year will prove to be another of those special seasons. Picked to finish second in the MAAC, the Stags return their two top scorers, their First Team All-MAAC Goalie, and 9 of their starters from a year ago. With all these pieces in place the Stags looked at their difficult non-conference schedule highlighted by games with UMASS and Boston College as games that can show them where they stand against the top schools.

The year did not get off to the start that they envisioned when they lost to the University of Albany 2-0 in front of a packed crowed that reached 850 fans. It was the first win for the Great Danes since 2008, after finishing last year with a record of 0-13-3. "We were bitterly disappointed," remarked Head Coach Carl Rees. But the result was not the only thing that frustrated the team it was also the thought of letting down their fans, "we had the bleachers jampacked with Fairfield faithful and we felt we let them down it was a missed opportunity for us to demonstrate our pride and how hard we can work," Rees also said. The Stags dominated their opposition in almost every category, Albany's 2009 MVP Adrian Foncette made 9 saves to thwart a Stags comeback.

The Stags offense showed up in Game number 2 against Bradley when they battled to a 2-2 tie. Adam Cowen scored the first goal of the Stags season with senior David Piedrahita following with a penalty kick in the next half. The Braves, who finished in last place in the MVC last year, also proved to be a hard loss for the Stags.

Besides going winless through the first two games, Rees is not worried about his team, "I want to see progress and improvement in the team and I've seen that." The Stags faithful have also enjoyed what they have seen. There has been a new energy at Lessing Field. Over 1,000 combined Fairfield fans swarmed the bleachers, cheering, and even doing the wave so far in both games. The crowd's energy is also an important part for the team, "It's such a great atmosphere. It's a big assest for us and a big strength for us." For a team that is expected to finish high in their conference they hope that the fans will continue making Lessing Field a place of energy and excitement as the team and their fans get ready for the ride that both hope will lead to a MAAC Title.

Fairfield 1 American 0

The Fairfield Stags (3-0) women's soccer team shutout the American Eagles (0-5) last night. Click here for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:
-Casey Frobey scored the only goal for the Stags. She moved past Ahna Johnson for sixth on the all time points list with 73 and she also has 28 career goals which is one shy of Johnson's mark for fifth.

-This is the first Stags team to record 3 consecitive shutouts to start a season

-Fairfield starts a season winning three in a row for the first time since 2001. No team has ever started 4-0.

-Kelly Boudreau recorded her 25th career win which moves her into fourth on the all-time list.

Up Next:
The Stags will take one the 22nd ranked Georgetown Hoyas on Monday.

Northern Colorado 3 Fairfield 0

The Fairfield Stags volleyball team (1-5) were shutout by the Northern Colorado Bears (5-2) during the first game of a volleyball double header. Click here for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:

-Fairfield lost each set 25-17

- The Stags had their second straight game hitting under .100 only collecting a .074 percentage.

-No Stag had double digits in kills with Hayley Moyer and Haililani Pokipala leading the team with 8.

-Rachel Romansky bounced back to record 26 assists and 3 kills.

I am concerned about the little hitting percentage that the Stags had. Last night, I posted that the graduation of Katie Mann could have drastically affected the number of blocks that the team has had but also remember she was the all-time leader in hitting percentage.

Fairfield Men/Women Recruiting Recap

In this post to the MAAC Blog they breakdown the recruiting class for both the men's and women's team. Without Adam Jones and Majok Majok, the men's recruiting class may not be what everyone thought before. The size is not there but the skill is.

B2 Games to start on Tuesday

Starting Tuesday, September 7th Fairfield University will once again begin broadcasting their home games on the B2 Network. Fans can watch live streams of the game for only a small fee by searching on the Stags Website. For the fall sports, Fairfield will broadcast all the home games (weather permitting) of men's and women's soccer, volleyball, and field hockey. Also new this year, the student broadcasters for WVOF will serve as the play-by-play and color commentators.

Fairfield 2 Bradley 2

The Fairfield Stags men's soccer team (0-1-1) battled to a draw with the Bradley Braves (1-0-1) Friday night. Click here for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:

-Fairfield missed a bunch of offensive opportunities and were either outran by the defender or missed wide on the goal in breakaways.

-Adam Cowen scored the first goal of the Stags season and senior David Piedrahita followed with a penalty kick in the second half.

-Michael O'Keeffe made four saves

Bradley is a good team. Every time the Stags scored, the Braves beared down and looked to tie it up. This was a very physical matchup alsowith both teams exchanging words and having to be seperated afterwords. Although they have not won a game so far in the early campaign, Coach Rees says he likes what he has seen out of the team and remember it is only the nonconference games.

Up Next:

The Stags will play Tuesday night at 7 PM aganist Yale.

Georgia 3 Fairfield 0

The Fairfield Stags women's volleyball team (1-4) were shutout by the Georgia Bulldogs (5-0) in the second game of the Hampton's Inns and suites Colorado Classic. Click here for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:

-The Stags were held to an .011 hitting percentage and is hitting only .110 through the early season.

-Alex Lopez had her best game of the season with 3 kills and 6 digs.

-Rachel Romansky only had 18 assists. It was the first time all season she was held to less than 20 assits.

-Lauren Hughes and Stephanie Cruz did not play.

Another stat that scares me is the amount of blocks that the team had. The Stags recordedonly 2 blocks, while Georgia denied 22. Remember this is a team that lost the best middle blocker in its history with Katie Mann. Does the freshmen Hayley Moyer have what it takes to fill those shoes? Or who has to step up because throughout the campaign if you compare the amount of block assists, Fairfield has recorded 30 while the opposition has ammassed 104.

Up Next:

The Stags will play a double header on Saturday, the first game aganist the host team Northern Colorado 9 AM (MDT)

Fairfield 3 South Dakota 1

The Fairfield Stags women's volleyball team (1-3) defeated the South Dakota Coyotes yesterday in the first game of the Northern Colorado Classic. This was the first meeting between the two in program history. Click here for a complete boxscore and recap

The Least You Should Know:

-Brianna Dixion lead the team with kills with 13. She has had double digit kills in every game this year.

-Rachel Romansky recorded her first career double-double with 41 assists and 11 digs.

-The Stags did commit 33 errors and only hit .102.

-Lauren Hughes has a season high 10 kills.

Well, we are finally in the win column even though I was pretty concerned with the amount of errors that we comitted. I still think in order for us to succeed Lauren Hughes needs to have a good season and she had a good game. Rachel Romanksy continues to impress and she is "very good."

Tucker Nathan on ESPN 360 podcast

Stags second baseman Tucker Nathans is on an ESPN 360 podcast. The senior talks about his decision to leave soccer and focus mainly on baseball and his great summer playing for the Danbury Westeners of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. To listen to the podcast click here.

To be honest with you I just became aware that Nathans was no longer on the soccer team but I agree with his choice. After all, teamed up the Hajjar the Stags might actually have a playoff team for Coach Slosar's last season. Also, this decision to focus mainly on baseball can better help him in future to get drafted in the 2011 MLB Draft.

Rachel Romansky named to all-Tournament Team

Stags freshmen Rachel Romansky has been named to the Colgate Classic All-Tournament Team after recording 91 assists and 14 kills her first 3 collegiate games.

Congrats to the first year player and hopefully this is only the beginning of good things to come. I was surprised that she got the starting nod over Lauren Balmert this season but she was ranked as one of the top 100 high school seniors.

New Soccer Uniforms

The men's and women's soccer teams will be wearing a new home uniform. As the picture shows it is a white shirt with the red stripes and looks much more professional than those of the past years.

I really like these uniforms and they really stick out in a good way. I know the team loves them and are really impressed. Now we just need to go do some winning.

Majok out? Nero in?

According to the MAAC Blog, high ranking officials say that there is a major paperwork issue that they do not think will work itself out and it appears that the highly touted incoming forward will ever play for the Stags. Several blogs have named Majok the "best newcomer" to the MAAC. It is also interesting to note that in the Stags basketball preseason prospectus, Majok is NOT listed on the roster and it also says the Greg Nero WILL play in the 2010-2011 season

In with the old out with the new it looks like. Majok was a highly regarded prospect on many message boards and it doen look like something has happened that will cause him to not play for the Stags in the upcoming year or maybe ever. About a week ago, I posted a link written by Chris Ellsbury stating that Nero deserved a scholarship because of everything he has done for this program. Well it looks like he will return for the upcoming campaign and get that scholarship. I am worried about the length of this team now though. Coach Cooley admitted that it was Siena's length that caused them to lose that game. On the current roster, there are only 2 Stags above 6'5'' (Nero and Olander). Guess we'll see how this story turns out.