MAAC men: What to watch for at Fairfield, Quinnipiac this spring

Quinnipiac midfielder Paulo Soares, right, turns the corner against Boston College. (Quinnipiac Athletics)

If all goes to plan, MAAC men's soccer will return in mid-March with conference-only games as followed by a postseason tournament that’ll determine the conference’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament.

That opportunity is enticing for Fairfield and Quinnipiac, the conference’s two teams from New England. The Connecticut-based programs are both looking to knock off Iona, surprise winners in 2019.

The COVID-19 pandemic still frames everything, of course, even six months after Fairfield and Quinnipiac saw their Fall 2020 seasons canceled. Schools are committed to competing again, however, so cautious optimism is seeping in.

Here’s what to expect as New England’s MAAC representatives hopefully get underway. We’ve also included local standouts who compete at MAAC programs beyond the region.