Bronx, N.Y. – (April 9, 2021) – With one game left on the schedule, there are a lot of possibilities for the Fordham Rams, when they face the Saint Joseph's Hawks in men's soccer action on Saturday in Philadelphia at 5:00 PM.
The Rams (4-0-2, 2-0-2 A-10) take an unbeaten record into their final regular season match-up, as well as a chance at securing an Atlantic 10 Championship playoff berth. Currently, the Rams are tied atop the Atlantic 10 North standings with eight points along with Massachusetts. While the Rams face Saint Joseph's, Massachusetts travels to Rhode Island for a 7:00 PM start.
Saint Joseph's enters Saturday's match with a 3-6-0 overall record, 1-3 in the Atlantic 10.
GAME COVERAGE:
Saturday – Fordham at Saint Joseph's – 5:00 PM //
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SERIES HISTORY: This is the 21
st all-time meeting between Fordham and Saint Joseph's with the Rams holding a 12-6-2 edge in the series. The two teams were slated to play earlier in the year on March 16
th, but the match was cancelled. Fordham will look for their first win over the Hawks since 2017, as Saint Joseph's has won the last two meetings.
LAST TIME OUT (4/3): It was a re-match that most were looking forward to, as the top teams in the Atlantic 10 North Division faced off for the second time this season at Jack Coffey Field on Saturday. In the end, Fordham and Massachusetts ended their match in a 1-1 double-overtime draw.
After a scoreless first half, Fordham got on the board first in the 58
th minute.
Jack Sluys made a run down the right side of the field and changed the field with a long cross to
Max Rogers on the left side. Rogers then took a shot that hit the right post and went into the goal for his first career goal.
Josh Levine
The game remained that way until the 88
th minute, where Fordham was called for a foul, leading to a free kick for Massachusetts. The Minutemen made the most of the opportunity as Ben Shepherd found Logan Brown for a header goal, his first of the year, to knot the game at one.
In overtime, each goalkeeper was tested but neither team could find the golden goal for the winner. Fordham's
Josh Levine finished the match with four saves, while Marvyn Dorchin had three for the Minutemen.
LEVINE NAMED A-10 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (4/5): The Atlantic 10 Conference announced its weekly men's soccer awards this afternoon with Fordham graduate student goalkeeper
Josh Levine receiving Defensive Player of the Week honors. It is Levine's first weekly award as a member of the Rams.
Levine was once again a stable force for the Rams in goal, as the team remained unbeaten this season. He went 1-0-1 on the week, posting one shutout and 12 saves. He made a season-high eight saves in a 2-0 shutout of La Salle on Tuesday, and then posted four stops in a 1-1 double-overtime draw with UMass on Saturday.
As of earlier this week, Levine ranked in the top 40 nationally in GAA (31st - 0.60), save percentage (17th - .871), saves per game (18th - 4.50), and shutouts (T39th - 3).
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: The Rams will have to see where the cards fall this weekend to see if they have clinched a spot in the Atlantic 10 Championship, which will be held April 15-17 with location to be determined.
