Oct. 6, 2011

Xavier GameTracker | Dayton GameTracker | Dayton Live Video

Bronx, N.Y. - After nine non-conference games, the Atlantic 10 portion of the schedule begins in earnest for the men's soccer team on Friday, October 7. They will head to Ohio for a pair of weekend games with Xavier and Dayton. The contest with the Musketeers is slated for a 7:00 PM start on Friday and the matchup with the Flyers is scheduled for 1:00 PM on Sunday, October 9.

The Rams enter the contest with a 4-4-1 overall record. The team has wins over Lehigh, Hartford, Columbia and, most recently, a 2 -0 blanking of Manhattan. In that contest John Niyonsaba and Tim Richardson scored goals for Fordham. The win over the Mountain Hawks was significant because they are ranked 3rd in the Mid-Atlantic region by the NSCAA. The Rams are seventh in that same poll and the opponent for Friday, Xavier, sits in the second position; with future opponent, Charlotte, at the top of the list.

Following the weekend set in Ohio, the team returns home for a five-game stretch beginning with Massachusetts on Friday, October 14 at 7:00 PM. The home stand concludes with La Salle on Friday, October 28 at 5:00 PM.

So far this season, the Rams are led on offense by senior midfielder, John McHugh. He has recorded four points on a goal and an assist. Niyonsaba is second on the team in scoring with three points.

On the defensive end, Ryan Meara has recorded five shutouts on the season. He is currently tied with Jeff Knuth at the top of Fordham's all-time mark. Other key contributors on defense have been Michael Stalker and Phil Ferrantello, who each have scored a game-winning goal this year.