First and foremost, what's up with the guy who wrote this article? I wonder what year he graduated from Villanova?

I attended last Saturday's game, and I'll be the first to admit that Fairfield got outplayed. And no one will argue that this was their second, somewhat disappointing performance in a row, having lost to Butler last week too.

However, I had the priviledge of playing for this team throughout their rebuilding process, and the strides they have taken since I arrived on campus in the Fall of '95 are beyond belief.

Not only did the Stags beat Villanova a year ago, but over the last five years, these team have been going in opposite directions. While Villanova has steadily declined, Fairfield has laid claim to 3 conference championships and two ECAC championships as well. These may not be NCAA championships, but they look pretty good when compared to the championships that Villanova has won (which, for those of you scoring at home is 0).

And while Villanova fans may look at their team's record as being 4-2 and Fairfield as being a pathetic 2-6, let's analyze who these teams have played, as well as who they have won and/or lost to.

Among Fairfield's six defeats are tough one-goal losses to UNC and Harvard (both of whom were ranked in the top 15 when Fairfield played them) on their home fields. Fairfield lost at Cornell, a team who beat Syracuse today. They also lost at Loyola to a team that could go on to win the national championship. Don't get me wrong, a loss is still a loss, but I would be anxious to see how Villanova would match up with these teams.

As far as wins are concerned, Fairfield has no overly impressive wins to speak of, but in retrospect, does Villanova? I guess they do if you consider Drexel, Sacred Heart, Lafayette, etc. to be D1 powerhouses. I certainly don't see it that way.

In conclusion, it's not wise to question the heart of Fairfield's team or even their ability for that matter. If these teams played 10 times, each team would win five.

To say that Fairfield plays like, or even resembles, a summer league team, is an unwarranted cheap-shot, as it is to criticize a player of Spencer Steele's caliber. Until you strap on the pads and play against him everyday in practice, you don't understand how good he really is because he makes the sport look easy. Maybe the author should put his money where is mouth is.