Bronx, N.Y. – (September 23, 2019) – Having won its last two home games, the Fordham men's soccer team looks for more of that success at Jack Coffey Field this week, as the Rams host Manhattan College on Tuesday night in the annual Battle of the Bronx, followed by an Atlantic 10 showdown with St. Bonaventure on Saturday night.
UPDATE: The game time for Saturday's match against St. Bonaventure has been moved back to 6:30 PM.
The Rams (2-4-1, 1-0 A-10) have won two of their last three contests and kicked off conference action with a 2-1 double overtime win over La Salle. Manhattan enters Tuesday's contest with a 0-5 mark, having scored only one goal in those five games. St. Bonaventure begins the week at 2-4 on the season, with a 0-1 mark in the Atlantic 10. The Bonnies lost to VCU in their conference opener and will play Niagara in their mid-week contest on Tuesday.
GAME COVERAGE:
Tuesday – Manhattan at Fordham – 7:00 PM ET –
Live Video (ESPN+) |
International Streaming |
Live Stats |
Follow on Twitter @FordhamSoccer
Saturday – St. Bonaventure at Fordham – 6:30 PM ET –
Live Video (ESPN+) |
International Streaming |
Live Stats |
Follow on Twitter @FordhamSoccer
SERIES HISTORY: Since 1969, the Battle of the Bronx between Fordham and Manhattan has primarily gone the way of the Rams with the Maroon and White posting a 30-13-3 record against the Jaspers. Entering last year's contest, Fordham was unbeaten in 12 straight matches, but a 90
th minute goal by Adrien Awana gave Manhattan its first win in the series since 2004.
For Saturday's match, this is the 20
th all-time meeting between the Rams and Bonnies. Fordham is 11-6-2 against St. Bonaventure, having won each of the last four meetings dating back to 2010. The last meeting came in 2017, a 2-0 win by Fordham at St. Bonaventure.
LAST TIME OUT: Sophomore
Paul Makaj picked the ideal time to score his first career goal – a golden goal in the middle of double overtime in the 2019 Atlantic 10 opener. Makaj's 105
th-minute tally broke a 1-1 tie with La Salle on Saturday.
Chris Pensuwan
Chris Pensuwan sent a pinpoint cross deep from right midfield to the foot of
Sameer Fathazada on the left side of the box. The junior wisely held play for a moment, allowing Makaj to make a run to the center of the box unmarked. The Rams had led for much of regulation following
Filippo Ricupati's penalty in the 28
th minute. However, the visitors struck in dramatic fashion with Sam Decencio's left-footed volley from at least 25 yards out over the head of
Konstantin Weis in goal in the 83
rd minute.
There were two 'nearly' goals, one for each team. La Salle had a goal ruled offside midway through the second half, while the Rams had a penalty chance denied in the first overtime period when Ricupati seemed to have been felled by the goalie Brett Werner.
A very even match from start to finish, the visitors held a slight lead on shots, 16-13, but the Rams had nine shots on target compared to their opponent's eight. Each goalie made seven saves.
TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION: After scoring just twice in the first four games of the season, the Fordham Rams have picked up the action in the last three, totaling nine goals, which included a season-high five against Holy Cross on September 14
th. That was Fordham's first five-goal game since October 12
th, 2016 against Duquesne. From those nine goals, six different Rams have found the net, with
Joergen Oland and
Luke McNamara leading the way with two apiece.
WHO'S NEXT: Following this week's games, the Rams start a four-match stretch on the road, beginning with an October 1
st date at Stony Brook. Fordham then returns to league action on October 5
th, taking on the defending Atlantic 10 champion, Rhode Island.
