Newton, Mass. – Despite a career-high 10 saves from goalkeeper
Rashid Nuhu, the Fordham men's soccer team fell to Boston College, 1-0, in the opening round of the NCAA Championship at New Campus Field in Newton, Massachusetts.
Boston College put the pressure on the Rams from the opening kick, registering four shots on goal over the first 11 minutes. Each chance though was denied by Fordham goalkeeper
Rashid Nuhu, keeping the game scoreless.
In the 29
th minute, the Eagles threatened again on a shot from the top of the box to the right side by Isaac Normesinu that Nuhu read perfectly with a diving stop for his fifth save of the game.
Fordham got a late opportunity for a scoring chance on a corner kick, as
Janos Loebe found
Joergen Oland for a header attempt that just went left of goal.
The second half continued to feature Nuhu coming up big for Fordham, making a save to the lower left side in the 47
th minute and palming away a shot to the upper right corner in the 60
th minute.
The Rams would get chances in the 53
rd and 78
th minute with the game still scoreless.
Jannik Loebe cut across the box for a shot and save by Boston College goalkeeper Cedric Saladin, while later
Tim Steuk found
Bart Dziedzic for a quick shot on the right side of the box that was also saved by the keeper.
Eric Ohlendorf (photo by Mike Gridley)
Then, in the 82
nd minute, Boston College finally broke through, when Simon Engstrom slipped a pass from the endline to Zeiko Lewis, who netted his seventh goal of the season.
Fordham almost tied the game just a minute later on a scramble in front of the Boston College net.
Janos Loebe took the corner kick from the near side and got the ball near the six-yard box, where Steuk,
Dantae Greer, and
Eric Ohlendorf were all waiting for a chance. Ohlendorf put a head on it toward an open goal but an Eagle defender knocked it off the line, keeping Boston College in the lead. Loebe and
Ole Sandnes also had shots over the final minutes but neither found the net, leaving Fordham with the 1-0 loss.
In net, Nuhu made a career-high 10 saves in an outstanding effort by the sophomore keeper, while Saladin had two stops for the Eagles.
The loss ends Fordham's season at 10-7-4.
