Bronx, N.Y. – (October 21, 2022) – With two league matches remaining, the Fordham men's soccer team in right in the thick of the playoff hunt, as they hit the road for the final time during the regular season on Saturday. The Rams head to Duquesne for a 7:00 PM match on Saturday night.
Fordham (3-2-8, 1-1-4 A10) is in a three-way tie for eighth place in the conference standings with Saint Joseph's and VCU at seven points and are only one point back of fifth place. The Rams are coming off a 1-1 draw at Saint Joseph's, where
Daniel Espeleta netted his third goal of the season. Fordham is now one draw away from tying the NCAA record for ties in a season.
Duquesne (10-2-3, 4-0-2 A10) has had a successful campaign and ranked in the top 25 for a portion of their season. The Dukes sit atop the Atlantic 10 standings with 14 points, one ahead of Saint Louis, and two clear of Dayton. The duo of Ask Ekeland and Maxi Hopfer have led the way offensively for Duquesne. Ekeland has seven goals and 15 points on the year with Hopfer having five goals and three assists for 13 points. Domenic Nascimben has played every second for the Dukes in net this season, recording a 0.80 goals against average, 64 saves, and seven shutouts.
GAME COVERAGE:
Saturday – Fordham at Duquesne - 7:00 PM –
Live Video (ESPN+) |
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SERIES HISTORY: Saturday's meeting at Duquesne is the first match-up between the Rams and Dukes since 2017. Fordham holds an 11-8-1 record against Duquesne, having won each of the last four meetings from 2015-17. Duquesne's last win in the series came in 2012.
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: Saturday's men's soccer contest between the Fordham Rams and the Saint Joseph's Hawks was an important match, as the two teams are tied in the Atlantic 10 standings. However, everything stayed the same in the standings, as after 90 minutes the Rams and Hawks finished in a 1-1 draw at Sweeney Field in Philadelphia.
The Rams got off to a great start, scoring in the sixth minute of the contest.
Ben Shepherd sent a slick ball left into the box to an oncoming
Daniel Espeleta. Espeleta was able to slot a shot from six yards out, inside the right post for his third goal of the season.
Fordham held that lead for much of the game until the 86th minute, when the Hawks found an equalizer. A bouncing ball slipped down the far side, finding Luke Johnson. Johnson pushed the left to Omry Perel, who got a shot over the keeper and under the bar for the tying goal. It was his second of the season.
Neither team found the go-ahead marker in the final minutes, leaving the match as a 1-1 draw. In net, Fordham's
Callum James and Saint Joseph's Luis Ludosan each had two saves.
NEWCOMERS SHOWING OUT: Fordham has seen the newest additions to the roster for the 2022 season contribute early and often. Newcomers have accounted for 14 of the 20 goals on the season, led by freshman
Nathan Simes with five. The Rams also have three goals by
Daniel Espeleta, two goals from
Ben Shepherd and
Timo Hummrich, and single markers for
Paolo Primavera and
Jakob Gesien on the year.
The Rams also have a newcomer in goal with
Demetri Skoumbakis, who through nine matches has three shutouts, a 1.11 goals against average, and 29 total saves.
FIT TO BE TIED: With the decision to not play overtime during the regular season, the men's soccer season has seen plenty of draws this season and Fordham has been no exception. The Rams have played to a tie score on eight occasions in 2022, which is already a program record. The previous high was five in 2005 and 2006. Fordham is also one draw shy of the NCAA record of nine, set by four different teams, including Providence (2005), St. John's (2009), South Florida (2013), and UC Davis (2014).
RAMSES CHALLENGE: As a part of a new fundraising challenge this season, fans can pledge support for the team in the Ramses Challenge for each goal the men's soccer team scores this season.
Be a part of the challenge by clicking here.
WHO'S NEXT: Following this match, the Rams return home for their final two home games, as they host Princeton on Tuesday, October 25
th, and Loyola Chicago on Saturday, October 29
th.
