Men’s Soccer Back in the Bronx This Week with NYC Rivalry Matches

Bronx, N.Y. – (September 17, 2018) – After five straight games away from the Bronx, the Fordham men's soccer team is finally back in the Bronx this week for a pair of local rivalry matches.  On Tuesday, the Rams will be at Gaelic Park for the annual Battle of the Bronx against Manhattan for a 7:00 PM match, while on Friday, Fordham will have its home opener against Columbia at Jack Coffey Field, starting at 7:00 PM.
 
Fordham (3-0-2) continues to be in the top 25 poll, following a 1-1 draw at Marist on Wednesday, where the Rams got a game-tying goal by Joergen Oland for the third straight game in the final ten minutes of regulation.
 
Manhattan (6-1-0) enters Tuesday night's contest on a three-match win streak after defeating VMI (5-1), Liberty (2-1), and Saint Joseph's (2-0), and are averaging 2.29 goals per game, while having a 0.71 goals against average.  Columbia (3-1-1) is unbeaten in its last four games, which includes wins over Binghamton (3-0) and Monmouth (1-0) in their last two contests. 
 
GAME COVERAGE:
Tuesday - Fordham at Manhattan – 7:00 PM – Live Video | Live Stats | Follow on Twitter @FordhamSoccer
 
Friday – Columbia at Fordham – 7:00 PM – Live Video | Live Stats | Follow on Twitter @FordhamSoccer
 
SERIES HISTORY: This will be the 46th all-time meeting between Fordham and Manhattan in the annual Battle of the Bronx.  The Rams hold a 30-12-3 edge in the series with Fordham being 10-0-2 in the last 12 match-ups.  The teams last met a year ago when Fordham came away with a 3-0 win over the Jaspers behind two goals from Jannik Loebe and another tally by Joergen Oland.
 
For Fordham and Columbia, this is also the 46^th all-time meeting with the Lions holding the edge at 27-12-6.  Last season, Columbia's Vana Markarian was the lone goal scorer in a 1-0 win by the Lions with Dylan Castanheira having three saves in the shutout.
 
IN THE POLLS: The Rams are still ranked in the first two polls released this week, as the Rams remained #9 in the College Soccer News Top 30 Poll, while the Top Drawer Soccer Poll saw Fordham drop from #11 to #24, and the United Soccer Coaches Poll dropped Fordham from #12 to #25.
 
LAST TIME OUT:   In what seems like déjà vu, the 12^th-ranked Fordham Rams needed another late goal in the second half to pull out a 1-1 double-overtime draw against the Marist Red Foxes at Tenney Stadium in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

It was an unusual first half, as the game had to be stopped in the 28^th minute for a weather delay due to lightning and heavy rains.  After a 45 minute delay, the game resumed with the first half remaining scoreless.
 
In the second half, Marist capitalized on a Fordham turnover in the 61^st minute to open up a 1-0 lead.  Allen Gavilanes stole a pass, which was headed back to Fordham goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu, and chipped the ball over Nuhu to himself, heading the ball into an empty goal for his first of the season.

 
Then, in a scene that has repeated itself over the last few games, the Rams found an equalizer in the final minutes of regulation, once again from junior Joergen Oland.  Janos Loebe took a free kick following a foul just into Marist territory.  His free kick was not cleared with Paul Makaj ripping a shot from distance, which was blocked, but Oland was there to collect the rebound and put home the tying goal, his third in as many games, sending the game into overtime.

In overtime, Fordham had two chances for the game-winner in the 105^th and 108^th minute.  First, it was Luke McNamara with a header shot, then, a shot by Jack Murphy, but both were thwarted by Marist goalkeeper Ryan Sinnott, preserving the 1-1 final score.
 
Sinnott finished with six saves for Marist, while Nuhu notched five stops for the Rams. 

WHO'S NEXT: Following these matches, the Rams remain at home with games against Seton Hall on September 25^th (7 PM) and Rhode Island and September 29^th (7 PM).