Box Score Aug. 31, 2011
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Bronx, N.Y. -
After seeing a game against Hartford postponed due to weather, the Rams welcomed the Lehigh Mountain Hawks to Jack Coffey Field for the 2011 season opener on Wednesday, and Fordham came away with a 1-0 win. Sophomore defender, Michael Stalker scored the only marker in the game.
Much like the Rams 1-0 victory of Lehigh a year ago, this game featured two evenly matched teams that played a physical style of play. As a result, scoring chances were infrequent, but Fordham had an opportunity late in the nineteenth minute of the game when John McHugh lifted a cross from the left side that went over the head of a charging John Niyonsaba.
The second scoring chance for the Rams came in the thirty-third minute when senior midfielder, Tim Richardson blasted a shot that was parried by Lehigh goalie, Ciaran Nugent. The half ended without any score.
In the second half, Fordham pushed the ball ahead and had several opportunities to score a go-ahead goal. Just past the hour mark, Richardson struck again as he roped a shot that Nugent dove to his left to corral. Less than five minutes later, it was McHugh that had a chance as his header went just wide of the goal.
Midfielder Jack Bouchard, who came on as a substitute in the first half, took a shot at the goal in the seventy-fifth minute, but it was turned aside by Nugent.
The Rams would finally get on the scoreboard in the seventy-seventh minute. Stalker, who moved up from the back line brought in a loose ball and danced past two defenders before beating Nugent to the near side for the unassisted tally that gave Fordham the 1-0 lead.
Lehigh had a chance to record the equalizer in the eighty-eighth minute when a shot by Joe Puleo was stopped by Ryan Meara. Meara made three saves to record the shutout. Fordham outshot the Mountain Hawks 10-8 and dominated on corner kicks 7-3.
Fordham, now 1-0 on the season, will travel to West Hartford, Connecticut with a makeup game with Hartford on Saturday, September 3 at 7:00 P.M. This game was originally ruled a no-contest on August 27.
