Men's Soccer Defeats #10 Charlotte, 1-0

Bronx, N.Y. - (Oct. 23, 2011) - The Fordham men's soccer team upset #10 Charlotte, 1-0, in an Atlantic 10 conference game from Jack Coffey Field in the Bronx on Sunday. The win was the second for the Rams over a ranked opponent, as they defeated #23 Xavier earlier in the season. These two wins mark the first time in the last 25 years that Fordham has defeated two ranked opponents in the same season.

The first half saw each side take two shots apiece. The majority of the game was played in the midfield area and neither side had prime scoring chances as nine fouls were called in the first 14 minutes of action.

Fordham's first real threat came just before the 30-minute mark. The Rams earned a free kick after a foul against the 49ers. On that try, Nathaniel Bekoe let loose a shot that went just above the crossbar and off a Charlotte player for a corner kick.

The 49ers had an opportunity late in the first half also. In the 41st minute, Charles Rodriguez got a head on a free kick and sent the ball on goal, but Ryan Meara was there to gather it in and the game went into halftime in a scoreless tie.

The second half was nearly a carbon-copy of the first half until the Rams capitalized on a 49ers mistake. With the ball deep in Charlotte's end, they had trouble clearing and Michael Valencia, who came on a substitute in the game, headed the ball backwards to John Niyonsaba who let go a shot from the top of the box. The ball knuckled through the defense and deflected off a defender before ending up in the back of the net.  It was Niyonsaba's second goal of the year.

From there, the Rams played aggressive defense and ran out the clock without conceding the equalizer.  Ryan Meara made two saves in net for Fordham recording his eighth shutout on the year.

With the win, Fordham is 8-6-1 overall, 4-2 in the A-10. The 49ers fell to 10-3-2 and 3-1-2 in the league. The Rams return to action on Friday, October 28th, when they celebrate Senior Day as part of a doubleheader with the women. The contest against La Salle begins at 5:00 P.M.