Davidson, N.C. – After finishing second in the Atlantic 10 standings, the Fordham men's soccer team is back in the Atlantic 10 Championship in for the third straight season, and looking for its second league title in the last three seasons and third overall.
The Rams (8-6-3) enter the tournament as the #2 seed, after posting a 5-2-1 conference record. It is Fordham's highest seed at the Atlantic 10 Championship, since 2011, when the Rams won the regular season title and was the top seed. Fordham will face a team they are very familiar with in the Duquesne Dukes, as the two squads faced each other earlier this season at Fordham, which ended up as a 5-0 win for the Rams.
The winner of that contest will face the winner of the La Salle-Rhode Island game in the first Atlantic 10 semifinal on Friday. The championship game is set for Sunday, November 13th, at noon and will be televised nationally by the American Sports Network. That game will be seen locally in the New York area on SportsNet NY (SNY).
GAME COVERAGE:
Thursday – Duquesne vs. Fordham – 5:00 PM –
Game Notes |
Live Stats |
Live Video |
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SERIES HISTORY: This will be the 19th meeting between Fordham and Duquesne since the Rams joined the Atlantic 10 in 1995. The Rams have a 9-8-1 edge in the series, courtesy of a 5-0 win at Jack Coffey Field earlier this season. Last season, Fordham came away with a 2-1 victory at Duquesne on the strength of two goals from
Jannik Loebe.
RAMS REGIONALLY RANKED BY NSCAA (11/8): For the first time this season, the Fordham Rams have cracked the top ten in the NSCAA Midwest Regional Rankings on November 8th. The Midwest region is comprised of teams from the BIG TEN, Colonial, and Atlantic 10.
Maryland, who is still unbeaten this season at 15-0-2, is the top ranked team, followed by Indiana (10-1-6), Michigan State (12-4-1), Wisconsin (10-3-3), Hofstra (9-7-1), William & Mary (11-6-2), Delaware (10-7-1), Duquesne (8-4-5), UNCW (8-6-3), and Fordham (8-6-3).
A-10 ANNOUNCES ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS (11/9): Just a day before the start of the Atlantic 10 Championship, the conference released its All-Conference men's soccer teams and major award winners, as voted upon by the league's coaches. Six Rams heard their names called in the release, led by sophomore forward
Janos Loebe, who was named the league's Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Atlantic 10.
Janos Loebe, 2016 A10 Offensive Player of the Year
In addition to Janos, junior midfielder
Jannik Loebe was also named First Team All-Atlantic 10 with junior defender
Matthew Lewis and sophomore goalkeeper
Rashid Nuhu being named Second Team All-Atlantic 10. Freshman defender
Joergen Oland was among those listed on the conference's All-Rookie Team and junior midfielder
Eric Ohlendorf was voted to the Atlantic 10 All-Academic Team, as voted upon by the conference's sports information directors.
The six players honored are the most for Fordham, since 2011, when seven players were selected to the All-Conference teams.
Janos Loebe, who was Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year last season, joins Fordham alum John Wolyniec as the only Rams to be named Offensive Player of the Year in the Atlantic 10. (Note: Wolyniec was named Player of the Year in 1998, as the league separated the award into offensive and defensive awards in 2000.)
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LAST TIME OUT (11/5): After a disappointing performance on Wednesday against UMass, the Fordham men's soccer team did not want a repeat performance on Senior Night against St. Bonaventure at Jack Coffey Field on Saturday. The team responded with a plethora of offense, sending seniors
Ole Sandnes and
Andrew Hickey off in style with a 4-0 win over the Bonnies.
The Rams wasted little time getting on the board in the 11th minute.
Janos Loebe made a run down the left sideline, crossing the ball to the top of the box for a one-timer by
Cole Stevenson, who glanced a shot off the crossbar and in from 17 yards out. It was his fourth goal of the season.
Fordham made it a 2-0 game in the 17th minute. The play began with a corner kick by Stevenson on the left side. Fordham had multiple chances inside of eight yards with
Eric Ohlendorf getting a shot blocked. The ball came back to
Joergen Oland, who buried a shot from ten yards into the lower right corner for his first career goal.
The Rams weren't finished scoring in the first half, as Fordham picked up a third marker in the 45th minute.
Jannik Loebe made a run right down the center of the field, slipping a pass left, right to
Dantae Greer. Greer then placed a perfect shot right through the St. Bonaventure goalkeeper's legs for his second goal of the season.
The Fordham seniors then got into the scoring act for the final goal of the game in the 54th minute. Right after subbing into the game, senior
Ole Sandnes laid off a pass to fellow senior
Andrew Hickey, streaking toward the box on the left side. Hickey's cross found
Jannik Loebe right in front of goal for the perfect finish from six yards out. It was Loebe's fifth goal of the season.
A trio of Fordham goalkeepers posted the shutout on Saturday, as starter
Rashid Nuhu made three saves over the first 65 minutes, while
Jordan Black and
Dan Miklos wrapped up the final 25 minutes without allowing a goal.
