Lake Buena Vista, Fla. - Graduate student Jack Burridge scored three goals to lead Fairfield to a 3-1 victory over Manhattan in the 2011 MAAC Men's Soccer Championship Game at ESPN Wide World of Sports.
After a one-goal effort in their quarterfinal match with Rider, the Stags had little trouble finding the back of the net in the semifinals (3-1 win over Marist) and this afternoon. But it was Burridge who was the catalyst this afternoon, scoring a goal in the 26th, 66th, and 72nd minute of the game.
"Jack is just a natural goal scorer," Head Coach Carl Rees said after the game. "You can't teach the instincts he has inside the penalty area. He knows how to solve problems tactically. He has lived and breathed football since he was a kid and that shows up in how he plays the game."
The top-seeded Stags applied pressure throughout the opening 20 minutes of the game, getting half a dozen shots toward the Jasper goal. The frustration came to a quick end in the 26th minute when Manhattan was whistled for a foul just outside the box. Jon Clements stood over the ball and sent it toward the near post where Burridge was stationed. The forward went up and redirected the ball with a header, a shot which caught the far post before bouncing back across the line for a 1-0 lead.
The one-goal advantage remained through the start of the second half with each team getting a couple of chances. About 20 minutes into the half, the Stags were awarded a corner kick which again was sent to the near post. A Manhattan defender deflected the ball away, but the ball trickled to the feet of Burridge. He sent a shot back toward goal that went between the legs of goalkeeper George Ellis, giving the Stags a 2-0 cushion.
The final goal came with 18 minutes remaining off another set piece from Clements. The sopomore direct the free kick toward the far post giving an opportunity to Burridge. He cut on a diagonal from eight yards and found open space near the goal. He redirected the ball with a header that just tucked itself inside the post for a 3-0 advantage.
The Stags kept the Jaspers away from goal until late in the game when the team finally broke through in the final minutes. Goalkeepers Michael O'Keeffe and senior Doug Freeman joined forces for the afternoon to provide the defensive support necessary for the victory.
The win extended Fairfield's unbeaten streak to 13 games, sporting a 12-0-1 mark over that stretch. Fairfield improved its overall record to 12-4-1 and did not lose a game against a MAAC opponent this year (8-0-1 regular season and 3-0-0 in MAAC tournament).
Burridge was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Teammates Jack Cleverley, Adam Cowen, and Michael O'Keeffe were also named to the All-Tournament Team.
Fairfield earns the league's automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship. The selection show is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 14 on NCAA.com.