Bronx, N.Y. – (October 22, 2021) – With the schedule winding down, the Fordham men's soccer team is right in the thick of the Atlantic 10 playoff race, sitting in sixth place, but with a number of teams right on their heels. On Saturday, the Rams take on one of the teams they are chasing in the VCU Rams down at Sports Backers Stadium in Richmond, Va.
Fordham (5-8-1, 3-3 A10) is coming off a tough 1-0 loss at Rhode Island last weekend, as the Rams fell from second place in the A-10 standings to sixth.
VCU (9-4-1, 4-2-0 A10) sits in fourth place in the conference standings, which is important as the top four seeds will host the quarterfinal matches of the Atlantic 10 Championship. VCU has won its last two contests, the most recent being a 2-1 overtime win over #22 UNCW. Celio Pompeu is the top offensive player for VCU with four goals and seven assists on the season, while Damian Gallegos also has four goals on the season.
GAME COVERAGE:
Saturday – Fordham at VCU – 7:00 PM –
Live Video (ESPN+) |
Live Stats
SERIES HISTORY: On Saturday, it will be the ninth all-time meeting between Fordham and VCU, where VCU has yet to lose to Fordham, posting three wins and five draws. However, two of those draws were at the 2014 and 2016 Atlantic 10 Championship, where Fordham was able to advance past VCU on penalty kicks in both contests.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Make sure to follow the Fordham Rams all season long on their social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram - @FordhamSoccer
LAST TIME OUT: Whenever Fordham and Rhode Island get together for a men's soccer match, the fans know they are in for a tight, physical affair with neither team giving an inch. Saturday night's match was another chapter in that saga with almost 40 fouls and only one goal scored.
That one goal went to URI in the 48
th minute, as they earned the 1-0 decision over Fordham at the URI Soccer Complex in Kingston, R.I.
Nick Buchholz
Both squads were extremely tight defensively, allowing a total of eight shots on frame. The only shot that got through was off the foot of Jordan Koduah, who took a one-timer from Iska Oystese from the top of the box. That shot found the right side of the net, past a diving
Nick Buchholz, for Koduah's first of the season.
Fordham forced the action to try and get the equalizer, as they made URI goalkeeper Stefan Schmidt make multiple saves in the second half. The last of those chances came with only second left on the clock as a cross by
Galen Flynn found
Florian Deletioglu for a header toward the net, but the shot was caught right at the line by Schmidt to secure the game.
Schmidt totaled five saves in the contest while Buchholz had two for Fordham.
TO THE MAX: As Fordham hits the stretch run of Atlantic 10 play, one Ram,
Max Rogers, has stepped up his play over the last eight contests, totaling three goals and five assists in the span. He netted goals in three straight games and a point in four straight contests, which was highlighted by his performance against Seton Hall, netting two assists and the game-winning goal in overtime, while registering a pair of assists in the Rams' win over George Mason.
WHO'S NEXT: Fordham will conclude the regular season next week with matches at Princeton on Tuesday, October 26
th and against Saint Joseph's at home on Saturday, October 30
th.
