Sept. 20, 2011

Bronx, N.Y. - The most updated national men's soccer statistics were released on Tuesday by the NCAA and the Fordham team finds itself ranked among the nation's elite in several categories. Overall, the squad is ranked fifth in the Mid-Atlantic Region by the NSCAA.

The Mid-Atlantic Region ranked the top-10 and Fordham is number five on the list. The Rams trail fellow A-10 schools Charlotte and Xavier as well as Patriot League schools Colgate and Lehigh; on the list. The Mountain Hawks, ranked third in the region, fell to Fordham 1-0 earlier this season. In that game, Michael Stalker scored the only goal in the 1-0 shutout win. The Rams meet the 49ers and the Musketeers later in the season.

As far as the national rankings go, the squad is currently ranked 48th (out of 200) in Save Percentage at 0.806. Leading the country in that category is Creighton, whom the Rams lost to 1-0 earlier in the season. They are ranked 25th, across the land, in Shutout Percentage at 0.5, once again trailing the number one ranked Bluejays. The final superlative ranking for the entire squad is in Goals Against Average, where the defense has helped post a 0.98 mark, good for 63rd.

In the individual player rankings, John McHugh comes in at 127 in Total Assists. He has picked up helpers in the games against Hartford and Drake. Goalie Ryan Meara, a Hermann Trophy candidate, is ranked in the top 100 in three areas. He comes in at 16th in Save Percentage with a mark of 0.78. The keeper is 23rd overall in Goals Against Average, allowing just 0.588 goals per game. Finally, he is 78th in Saves Per Game, having parried an average of 4.0 shots per game.

The team returns to action on Wednesday, September 21, when they welcome Marist into Jack Coffey Field. The home game is scheduled to begin at 7:00 P.M.