There is no way to sugar-coat it. Winning on the road matters.
It’s hard to do. Winning in any capacity in the MAAC is difficult, and being away from Hamden, no matter how far, is never easy.
But ultimately, none of that matters. A road game is still a game, and for a squad straddling the line between a conference playoff berth and an early offseason, some of those games need to result in three points.
“We’ve just got to play. We’re going to play half our game on the road, half the games at home,” head coach Eric DaCosta said on Oct. 25
Unfortunately, with only one away game remaining on the season, Quinnipiac men’s soccer has failed to earn three points in any road contest in 2025.
The Bobcats came into their Wednesday night matchup against Fairfield hoping to change that tune. With only three games remaining, time was running out for Quinnipiac to punch a ticket to the MAAC playoffs. And what better game than the Quinnipiac-Fairfield rivalry to not only boost Quinnipiac up in the standings table, but to keep the Fairfield Stags from clinching a tournament spot.
However, the 2-0 defeat at the hands of the Stags wouldn’t only put a damper on Quinnipiac’s quest for a road win; it may snuff out any playoff chances left for the Bobcats.
A tough start to the season put the squad in a position where every point is crucial for post-season play, and the squad was looking to build upon a strong start to its final stretch.
For the first half of the match, it appeared that Quinnipiac took that mantra to heart. The team was playing calm against Fairfield, taking the good aspects of Saturday’s contest against Siena and applying it to the new opponent.
A strong defense, along with graduate student goaltender Matthew Pisani’s three save first half, kept the Stags at bay in the first half. Although the Bobcats benefited from the first Fairfield strike being called back from offside, Quinnipiac was managing the game well, going into halftime scoreless.
It was a promising start, but the tide would turn in the second half. Fairfield’s relentless offensive pressure would be the catalyst for the first goal of the night, with the junior midfielder Cameron Gerber’s shot beating Pisani on the ground.
Even though the Bobcats tried to maintain energy after the goal, Fairfield’s energy only seemed to compound as the half went on. A set piece in the 74th minute — a well-placed corner kick deflected off the back of junior defender Cole Dougherty, would be the final Fairfield score of the afternoon.
The chippiness, which has remained both a strength and a weakness of the Quinnipiac squad, flared up once again at the end of the match. A yellow card in the 79th minute and a red card in the 90th minute left a sour taste in a sour loss for the Bobcats.
With only two games remaining in the regular season, not only do the Bobcats need to win out — they need some help from around the conference. At the time of publishing, Quinnipiac’s nine points is good for No.9 in the conference, with three playoff spots remaining.
With two games remaining and two points out of a playoff spot, there is a possibility of playoff soccer in Quinnipiac’s future. However one thing remains true. If the Bobcats want the chance to contend for the MAAC championship, the squad will need to defeat its demons on the road.
Quinnipiac returns to Hamden for its final home match-up, suiting up against Niagara University for Senior Day on Nov. 1. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.
