#25 Men’s Soccer Continues Homestand with Two Matches This Week

Bronx, N.Y. – (September 24, 2018) – Following a home opening win on Friday night, the Fordham men's soccer team continues a four-match home stretch this week with games against Seton Hall on Tuesday night, while having its Atlantic 10 opener on Saturday against Rhode Island.
 
Fordham (4-1-2) continues to be in consideration for the top 25 poll, following a 1-0 win over Columbia on Friday, where Janos Loebe had the game-winning goal with Rashid Nuhu having a pair of saves in the shutout.
 
Seton Hall (4-2-1) enters Tuesday night's contest after a pair of wins last week over Marquette (2-0) and Sacred Heart (2-1). Most recently, CJ Tibbling scored twice in the Pirates' win against Marquette.  For Rhode Island (6-1), the Rams had a perfect 6-0 start to the season, but took their first loss of the season on Saturday against Brown in double-overtime (1-0).
 
GAME COVERAGE:
Tuesday – Seton Hall at Fordham – 7:00 PM – Live Video | Live Stats | Follow on Twitter @FordhamSoccer
 
Saturday – Rhode Island at Fordham – 7:00 PM – Live Video | Live Stats | Follow on Twitter @FordhamSoccer
 
SERIES HISTORY: This will be the 31st all-time meeting between Fordham and Seton Hall, a series that dates back to 1954.  It will be the first match-up between the two squads since 1992.  The Pirates hold a 16-12-2 lead in the series with Fordham's last win coming in 1985.
 
For Fordham and Rhode Island, it will be the 25^th "Battle of the Rams" on Saturday.  Rhode Island hold the series lead at 14-8-2, but it is Fordham that has won the last four meetings all via shutout, including a 2-0 win last season in Kingston, Rhode Island.
 
IN THE POLLS: The Rams are still ranked this week, as they dropped to #17 in the College Soccer News Top 30 Poll and remained at #25 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. The Top Drawer Soccer Poll saw Fordham in the receiving votes category.
 
MOVIN' UP: As the season moves along, Fordham seniors Janos Loebe and Rashid Nuhu continue their upward climb in the all-time Fordham record book.  With his game-winning goal against Columbia, Loebe is now tied with David Hausch (1987-89) for ninth in career goals with 21, while his 67 points moved him past his brother, Jannik, for sixth on the career points list.  He is also second in career assists with 25, trailing only John Wolyniec (34 – 1995-98).

 
For Nuhu, he picked up his 26^th career shutout in Friday's match against Columbia, which puts him just one behind Jeff Knuth for second on the Rams' all-time list (27 – 1985-88).  He also surpassed 6,000 career minutes played in goal, joining Knuth and Ryan Meara (2008-11) as the lone Rams to reach that plateau.
 
LAST TIME OUT:   Led by their senior captains Janos Loebe and Rashid Nuhu, the 25^th-ranked Fordham Rams gave the home fans at Jack Coffey Field exactly what they were looking for on Friday night: a win over Columbia in the home opener.  Loebe netted the only goal of the game with Nuhu making a pair of stops, as the Rams topped the Lions, 1-0.
 
After Sindri Ingimarsson's header was stopped in the 20^th minute by Columbia goalkeeper Dylan Castanheira, the Rams would breakthrough with the lone goal of the game on their next scoring chance in the 23^rd minute.  Fordham's Johannes Pieles put a through ball to Janos Loebe on the right side of the box, which Loebe lined up and shot into the bottom left corner of the goal for his second goal of the season.
 
Columbia tried to even the game late in the first half on a corner kick by Francisco Agrest, but Fordham's Rashid Nuhu made a diving save to the right post on a header by Will Todd to keep Fordham ahead 1-0 going into halftime.
 
The Lions had one more scoring chance to find the equalizer after Nuhu was called for a foul, after coming to challenge a loose ball.   John Denis took the free kick for Columbia aiming just under the crossbar.  However, Nuhu got both mitts on it for the save clinching the win for Fordham.
 
Nuhu finished the match with two saves for his second shutout of the season, while Castanheira had one for the Lions.
 
WHO'S NEXT: Following these matches, the Rams conclude their four-match homestand against Stony Brook on October 2^nd at 7:00 PM, before hitting the road to face Saint Joseph's on October 6^th.