Men's Soccer Hosts NJIT in Saturday Night Showdown

Following its upset win over #21 Columbia on Wednesday, the Fordham men's soccer team looks to extend its four-game unbeaten streak on Saturday night, when the Rams host NJIT on Jack Coffey Field at 7:00 PM.
 
LIVE COVERAGE: Live Video (Atlantic 10 Network) | Live Stats | Live Updates on @FordhamSoccer
 
SERIES HISTORY: This is the fourth all-time meeting between Fordham and NJIT with the Rams holding a 1-0-2 record against the Highlanders.  The only win for Fordham came in 2006 (3-0) in a tournament at Brown University, while recording ties in 2005 (1-1) and 2014 (1-1).  In last year's meeting, Jannik Loebe scored his first career goal in the first half, but NJIT responded with a second half goal by Marko Drljic for the 1-1 score.
 
LOEBE NAMED A-10 ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: The Atlantic 10 Conference announced its weekly men's soccer awards on Monday, and Fordham men's soccer freshman Janos Loebe (Kierspe, Germany) was named the conference's Rookie of the Week.  It is Loebe's first career weekly award.
 
Loebe recorded three assists in two games last week as Fordham went 1-0-1. Against Army, the rookie assisted on the lone goal in the 1-1 draw on Tuesday.  He then tallied a pair of assists in Fordham's first win of the season, a 3-2 victory over Fairfield on Saturday.
 
Loebe has now had a hand in five of the Rams' six goals on the season (1 goal, 4 assists). His four assists top the conference and his six points lead the Rams this season.
 
MEN'S SOCCER HONORED WITH NSCAA TEAM ACADEMIC AWARD: The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) has announced its Team Academic Award winners for the 2014-15 academic year.  Among those honored were both the Fordham men's and women's soccer teams for the sixth consecutive year.   Fordham was one of 208 schools to have both of its soccer programs receive the Team Academic Award.  A total of 859 collegiate soccer teams (305 men, 554 women) posted a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher, thereby earning the NSCAA Team Academic Award for the 2014-15 academic year.

 
LAST TIME OUT: Fordham's Janos Loebe scored the only goal of the game in the 74^th minute, while the Fordham defense held the 21^st-ranked Columbia Lions' offense in check, as the Rams pulled off the 1-0 upset at Jack Coffey Field on Wednesday night.  It was Fordham's first win over a ranked opponent since September 9, 2012, when the Rams defeated then-#22 Brown, 1-0.
 
The only goal of the contest came in the 74^th minute, as Ryan Cupolo controlled the ball at midfield passing ahead toward Tommy Granot on the left side of the field, about 30 yards from goal. Granot and a Columbia defender both kicked at the ball with it glancing off the back heel of the Lions player. 
 
Janos Loebe quickly swooped in on the loose ball and from a sharp angle, snuck a shot from 12 yards out between the goalkeeper and left post for his second goal of the season.
 
Over the final 15 minutes of play, Fordham goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu and the Rams' defense were able to hold strong for the shutout.  Though the chances weren't saves, Nuhu made catches off two corner kicks late, while also making a sliding grab on a breakaway pass to avert another scoring opportunity.
 
Nuhu finished with one save for his first career shutout, while Columbia's Kyle Jackson had two saves.
 
NEXT TIME OUT: The Fordham men's soccer team will next be in action on Tuesday, September 29^th, as the Rams take on Lehigh in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, starting at 7:00 PM.