Deletioglu’s OT Goal Sends Fordham to #A10MSOC Championship Semifinals

Bronx, N.Y. – (November 6, 2021) – Fordham's Florian Deletioglu deflected a cross from Max Rogers just inside the right post to push the Fordham Rams past the VCU Rams, 2-1, in double overtime at Jack Coffey Field in the Atlantic 10 Men's Soccer Championship quarterfinals on Saturday night.
 
The scoring in the match started with a fortunate bounce for Fordham in the 26^th minute.  Max Rogers crossed a ball into the box, that defected off VCU defender Simon Fitch for an own goal and a 1-0 Fordham lead.
 
The score remained that way to halftime, but VCU found the equalizer, early in the second half.  After a corner kick was deflected out to the top of the box in the 49^th minute, VCU's Damian Gallegos fired a shot that went off his teammate Jared Valdes and went into the net, giving Valdes his first goal of the season.

 
Fordham almost regained the lead on two occasions later in the half, as Sameer Fathazada rocketed two shots toward goal with one going off the right post in the 53^rd minute and off the cross bar in the 61^st minute.
 
The match would go into overtime tied at one with no one finding the game-winning marker in the first ten-minute session.  Fordham though would get that game-winning marker in the 101^st minute to end the game.  Matt Sloan put a long throw-in into the box, which Luke McNamara was able to slide to Rogers on the left side of the box.  Rogers played the ball in, which Florian Deletioglu got his foot on and deflected inside the right post for the game-winning tally.  It was Deletioglu's fourth goal of the season, tying for the team lead.
 
In net, Nick Buchholz registered two saves, while Mario Sequeira had four stops for VCU.  McNamara was also credited with a defender save in the first half.
 
With the win, Fordham (7-9-2) advances to the Atlantic 10 Championship semifinals, which will be against top-seeded Saint Louis on Friday, November 12^th at Hermann Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri.