Box Score Oct. 28, 2012
Final Stats |
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Bronx, N.Y. -
If you're a soccer fan who likes scoring opportunities, Fordham's Jack Coffey Field was the place to be on Sunday afternoon. If you're a soccer fan who likes scoring, you probably didn't want to be there as Fordham and Saint Joseph's combined for 40 shots but neither team could find the back of the net as the Rams and Hawks played to a scoreless tie in a matchup of Atlantic 10 teams on Fordham's Senior Day.
With the tie, Fordham goes to 5-6-4 on the year, 1-3-3 in the Atlantic 10, while Saint Joseph's moves to 5-10-2 overall, 1-5-2 in the conference.
The Rams are no strangers to overtime, playing their seventh extra session today, but it looked early as if Fordham would get on the board as the Rams were awarded a penalty kick due to a hand ball in the box in the 15th minute. But Saint Joseph's keeper Andrew D'Ottavi was able to make a diving save of Casper Gimand's chance.
Just minutes later, Fordham's Kalle Sotka took a cross from Julian Nagel and blasted a shot from ten yards that D'Ottavi saved and the rebound came to Tommy Granot right in front of the net but he was unable to put it across the goal line.
The Rams kept the pressure on the Hawks the rest of half but D'Ottavi was up to the task. The best scoring chance came in the 32nd minute when Sotka sent Nagel in alone but D'Ottavi got a hand on the shot.
Saint Joseph's picked up the offensive pace late in the first half when Adam Wissner and Pat McGlynn both got off shots in the final four minutes that were saved by Fordham keeper Ricky Berotti and then Berotti was aided by the cross bar when Wissner grabbed the McGlynn miss and hit the bar.
Fordham came out and picked up where they left off , outshooting Saint Joseph's 9-5 in the second 45 minutes but only getting one of the nine shots on net which came on a direct kick that Nagel blasted through the line but right into the midsection of D'Ottavi in the 84th minute.
In the first overtime, Fordham had the lone scoring opportunity when Sotka curled a shot that was almost tipped in by a teammate in front of the net.
In the second extra session, both squads had chances to break the scoreless tie with Sotka taking a set piece in the first minute of the second overtime that he drilled right at D'Ottavi and, a minute later, Saint Joseph's Jimmy Reilly jumping on a loss ball in front of a wide open Fordham net but his shot went over the cross bar.
Fordham had two more chances before time expired but Nagle deflected a Sotka free kick just wide with five minutes remaining and Michael Stalker dribbled around a defender in the box to get a blast for from 15 yards that was denied by a diving D'Ottavi.
Berotti, making his first career start, made two saves for the Rams, who outshot Saint Joseph's 27-13, while D'Ottavi recorded ten for the Hawks.
The Rams will return to action on Friday night, November 2nd, as they travel to Pittsburgh, Pa., to face the Duquesne University Dukes in an Atlantic 10 matchup at 7:00 p.m.
