Bronx, N.Y. – (September 16, 2022) – The Fordham men's soccer team looks to keep their unbeaten streak alive on Homecoming Saturday night, when the team hosts Rhode Island to open Atlantic 10 Conference play at Jack Coffey Field.
Fordham (2-1-3) is unbeaten in its last five matches, posting two wins and three draws, the last of which was a 0-0 tie at Loyola Maryland on Tuesday, when
Demetri Skoumbakis recorded his second shutout of the season for Fordham. The scoreless draw also saw an end to
Nathan Simes' goal-scoring streak at three matches.
Over the last several years, the matches for Fordham and Rhode Island are always must-see affair, whether they are determining seeding in the regular season or advancement during the Atlantic 10 Championship. The matches, while extremely exciting, have also been very physical and Saturday should be no different.
URI enters Friday's contest with an unbeaten streak of their own at 3-0-3, winning its last two contests over Connecticut and Fairfield. Rafa Villanueva leads the offense with three goals on the year, while Kevin Castaneda has two goals and three assists. In net, Max Hinke has played every minute for URI, posting a 0.83 goals against average and 20 saves.
GAME COVERAGE:
Saturday (9/17) – Rhode Island at Fordham – 7:00 PM –
Live Video (ESPN+) |
Live Stats |
International Feed | Follow on social media - Facebook/Twitter/InstaGram - @FordhamSoccer
SERIES HISTORY: Fordham and Rhode Island renew the Battle of the Rams series on Saturday for the 31
st time. URI leads the all-time series with a 17-9-4 record, after taking a 1-0 decision last season in Kingston. Fordham seeks their first win in the series since a 4-2 victory in the 2018 regular season.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Make sure to follow the Fordham Rams all season long on their social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram - @FordhamSoccer
SIMES NAMED A-10 CO-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK (9/12): The Atlantic 10 Conference announced its men's soccer weekly awards on Monday with Fordham's
Nathan Simes (Wellington, New Zealand) being named Co-Rookie of the Week. He shares the award with Duquesne's Ask Ekeland. This is Simes' first career weekly award and the first for a Ram this season.
Simes powered home three goals over the course of two matches last week. He had his first career multi-goal match on Tuesday against Manhattan, netting two goals, including the game-winning tally. Then against UMBC, he scored his team-leading fourth goal of the season in a 2-2 draw.
LAST TIME OUT: After waiting out the poor weather from Monday, the Fordham Rams were finally able to hit the pitch on Tuesday morning for their contest against the Loyola Greyhounds in Baltimore, Maryland. However, neither team could crack the scoreboard, leaving the match as a 0-0 draw at the Ridley Sports Complex.
The Rams (2-1-3) tested Loyola goalkeeper Alex Bobocea on multiple occasions in the first half, as he recorded four saves in the opening stanza.
The Greyhounds (2-1-2) returned the favor in the second half, as Fordham's
Demetri Skoumbakis was called upon to stop three shots on goal to end the game in a scoreless draw.
Overall, the match had a physical flavor to it with 27 total fouls being called with seven cautions handed out.
Loyola ended the match with an 18-9 shot edge over Fordham, while the Rams had the edge in corner kicks.
NEWCOMERS SHOWING OUT: Fordham has seen the newest additions to the roster for the 2022 season contribute immediately. Newcomers have accounted for seven of the eight goals on the season, led by freshman
Nathan Simes with four. The Rams also have goals from
Timo Hummrich,
Ben Shepherd, and
Paolo Primavera on the year.
The Rams also have a newcomer in goal with
Demetri Skoumbakis, who has solidified himself as Fordham's top goalkeeper. Through six matches, the transfer from LIU has two shutouts, a 1.00 goals against average, and 20 total saves.
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 will next be in action on Saturday, September 24
th, as they head to St. Bonaventure for a 5:00 PM match, followed quickly by a Monday night showdown at Rutgers on September 26
th at 7:00 PM.
