Bronx, N.Y. – (March 29, 2021) – After two hard fought Atlantic 10 contests last week, the Fordham Rams are right back at it with two more men's soccer league matches this week. The Rams will opened the week at La Salle on Tuesday night for a 7:00 PM match, while hosting Massachusetts on Saturday at 11:00 AM.
Fordham (3-0-1, 1-0-1 A-10) remained unbeaten with a 2-1 double overtime win at Massachusetts last Wednesday, while playing to a 2-2 draw with Rhode Island on Saturday. La Salle (4-2-1, 1-0-1 A-10) has the same league record as the Rams, playing to a draw with Massachusetts and defeating Saint Joseph's, while in its most recent match, fell to Drexel by a 1-0 score. For Saturday, it will be the second meeting between Fordham and Massachusetts this season. UMass (6-1-1, 2-1-1 A-10) bounced back from its loss to Fordham with a 2-1 win over Saint Joseph's.
GAME COVERAGE:
Tuesday – Fordham at La Salle – 7:00 PM //
Live Video (ESPN+) |
Live Stats | Follow on Twitter/InstaGram/Facebook - @FordhamSoccer
Saturday – Massachusetts at Fordham – 11:00 AM //
Live Video (ESPN+) |
Live Stats | Follow on Twitter/InstaGram/Facebook - @FordhamSoccer
SERIES HISTORY: On Tuesday, it will be the 34
th all-time meeting between Fordham and La Salle, as the two teams have faced off against each other as members of the Atlantic 10 and MAAC. The Explorers hold a slight lead in the series at 16-14-3, but it's been Fordham with the better results recently. The Rams have won six consecutive meetings with the Explorers, dating back to 2014. In the last meeting in 2019, Fordham earned a 2-1 double overtime win with
Paul Makaj netting the game-winning goal in the 105
th minute.
For Fordham and Massachusetts, this will be the second of two meetings this spring, as the Rams took a 2-1 victory in double overtime on March 24
th on a goal by
Sameer Fathazada in the final minute. The Minutemen now hold a 16-10-0 record against Fordham, with Fathazada having the game-winning goal in each of the last two meetings.
LAST TIME OUT (3/27): It's always an interesting affair when the men's soccer teams from Fordham and Rhode Island get together for Atlantic 10 play. It was no different on Saturday at Jack Coffey Field, as the Battle of the Rams truly was a battle which ended in a 2-2 draw.
The game started out in favor of Rhode Island, as URI scored in the fourth minute on a free kick by Artan Brovina from the top left side of the box, as his shot ricocheted off the right post and into the net for his first goal of the year. Rhode Island went up 2-0 in the 21st minute, as Patrick Agyemang made a long run into the Fordham end and slid a pass left for Hugo Guerra, who knocked in his second marker of the season.
The momentum then shifted in Fordham's favor right before the half in the 43rd minute.
Galen Flynn took a free kick from just left of the box, lifting a perfect cross that found the head of
Luke McNamara for his first tally of the year, making it 2-1. Then in the 50th minute, McNamara capitalized again on a loose ball off a deflection. The Rhode Island goalkeeper could not grab the loose ball, and McNamara pounded the ball into the net for his second goal of the game. It marked his second career multi-goal game.
From there, the intensity of the game flared on multiple occasions, but each goalkeeper held strong and did not allow a go-ahead goal. Fordham's
Josh Levine made five saves, none bigger than a leaping punch over the crossbar on a shot by Guerra in the 56th minute. Rhode Island's Andrew Kempe ended the match with four saves, two of which came in the second overtime period after URI was down two players due to red cards.
McNAMARA NAMED A-10 OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (3/29): The Atlantic 10 Conference announced its weekly men's soccer awards this afternoon with Fordham senior defender
Luke McNamara receiving Offensive Player of the Week honors. It is McNamara's first career weekly award.
McNamara helped Fordham to a 1-0-1 week with a double overtime win at Massachusetts on Wednesday and a draw with Rhode Island on Saturday. On Wednesday, McNamara and the rest of the Rams held a potent Minutemen offense to just one goal in a 2-1 victory in Amherst. Then, McNamara scored both Fordham goals in a 2-2 draw with Rhode Island. It marked his second career multi-goal game. Through four games, McNamara is tied for second on the team in goals (2) and third in points (4).
COMING UP BIG, WHEN IT COUNTS: Since joining the Rams in 2018, senior
Sameer Fathazada always seems to have a flare for the dramatic and has continued that trend this spring. After netting three game-winning goals in his first two seasons, he has added three more to the ledger in 2021.
WHO'S NEXT: Following this week's matches, the Rams are on the road for the next two, traveling to NJIT on April 6
th and Saint Joseph's on April 10
th.
