Box Score Aug. 26, 2012
Final Stats |
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Bronx, N.Y. - Two short days made a world of difference for the Fordham men's soccer team, as they rebounded from a 1-0 loss at Rutgers on Friday, to win its home-opener, 1-0, over Adelphi on Sunday afternoon at Jack Coffey Field. Nathaniel Bekoe connected with Ryan Walshfor the game's lone goal and Walsh's first career marker.
After managing just five shots against Rutgers, Head Coach Jim McElderryadded an attacking player to the lineup, as Fordham went to a 4-4-3 formation in the hopes of getting more scoring chances versus the Panthers on Sunday. The result was 16 shots for the Rams, while Adelphi managed just three.
The Rams pressed the attack early on as Kyle Bitterman blasted a shot on goal in the third minute that forced Ahmad Salamah to make the first of his six saves, and in the 13th minute, Bitterman played the ball forward for Taylor Gulbinswho committed a foul before he could get a shot off.
The first real scoring chance for Fordham occurred in the 22nd minute as Tommy Granotstole the ball along the midfield stripe and played it forward for Gulbins who ripped a low, hard shot that Salamah gathered in.
At the end of the first half, Julian Nagel played a through ball for Kalle Sotkawho flicked it on net, forcing Salamah to make his third save of the period.
The second half saw the Rams pushing the attack from the wings, resulting in the game's lone goal in the 51st minute. After earning a foul about 40 yards away from the goal, Bekoe lifted a free kick across the field to the far side of the goal box, where Walsh leapt and put his head into it, sending it inside the far post from six yards out to give Fordham the 1-0 edge.
The Rams nearly doubled the score just past the hour mark as Andre Seidenthalfound Sotka on a through ball, and Sotka let go a blast from inside the 18-yard box that beat Salamah and caromed off the post and away from the goal.
Walsh nearly connected on his second goal of the game in the 90th minute as Andre Seidenthalpassed the ball across the field to Walsh up the left side. From there, Walsh went upper 90 with the shot, forcing Salamah to dive to his left to parry the shot away.
The Rams are improved to 1-1 on the season, while Adelphi dropped to 0-2. The victory was the first time Fordham has defeated Adelphi in the Coach McElderry era.
In the game, Fordham outshot the Panthers, 16-3, and Adelphi didn't have a shot on goal. Sotka took five shots in the win, while Gulbins and Nagel each took three.
Fordham returns to action on Friday, August 31, when they host the Hartford Hawks at Jack Coffey Field at 7:00 PM. Following the contest with the Hawks, the Rams begin a four-game road trip before coming back home at the end of September to face Manhattan College.
