Bronx, N.Y. – (November 9, 2023) – The nationally ranked Fordham water polo team finishes its regular season schedule this weekend with road matches at Connecticut College and #20 Brown.
Fordham (20-7) is on a four-match win streak after a win over Iona on November 1
st and continues preparation for next week's MAWPC Championship. The Rams will be the top seed at the MAWPC Championship and will receive a bye into the semifinals on Saturday, November 18
th.
Connecticut College (2-15) has a busy week starting on Thursday with four straight days of matches against Iona, Fordham, Brown, and LIU. The Camels have lost five straight matches, heading into Thursday's match against Iona.
Brown (18-6) has had a very successful season and recently returned to the national top 20. Like Fordham, the Bears took part in the Julian Fraser Tournament in California and are 3-2 since returning from California. This will be Fordham's 12
th match against a ranked opponent this season.
GAME COVERAGE
Friday – 7:30 PM – #15 Fordham at Connecticut College |
Live Video |
Follow on Twitter at @FordhamPolo
Saturday – 12:30 PM – #15 Fordham at #20 Brown |
Live Video (ESPN+) |
Follow on Twitter at @FordhamPolo
HISTORY: Since 2000, Fordham and Connecticut College have met 34 times with the Rams holding a 29-5 record. The Rams have won 22 straight in the series with Connecticut College's last win coming in 2005. The last meeting between the two schools was an 18-1 Fordham win in 2018.
On Saturday, it is the second meeting of the year between Fordham and Brown, as the Bears earned an 18-13 victory back on September 3rd at the Bruno Classic. Prior to that, Fordham had not seen Brown since the 2017 season, but had been a regular opponent of the Rams, dating back to the 1970s. The Bears have dominated the all-time series and have won the last 15 meetings, dating back to 2010. Fordham has only one win this century over Brown, an 8-7 decision at the 2009 Eastern Championship.
LAST TIME OUT (10/29): The 15th-ranked Fordham water polo team celebrated Senior Night at the Col. Francis B. Messmore Aquatic Center on Wednesday. The Rams sent off their seniors
Christos Loupakis and
Michael Rahner with a 16-9 win over the Iona Gaels to retain the Judge Cup for the fifth straight season.
Fordham took control right out the gate with 5-0 lead after the first quarter, as
Barnabas Eppel and
George Papanikolaou each scored twice with
Lucas Nieto Jasny having the other marker. The Rams added to the lead with five more goals in the second quarter, building up to a 10-4 halftime advantage.
Fordham then scored four times in the third quarter with two in the final frame for the 16-9 victory.
For the Rams, Papanikolaou scored a career-high six goals to go with an assist and four steals, while Nieto Jasny and Eppel each had a hat trick.
Luca Silvestri added two goals with
Jacopo Parrella having a goal and four assists.
Balazs Berenyi also dished out a career-high four assists with two steals. In their final home game, Loupakis had a goal, while Rahner tallied three steals and a block.
RAMSES CHALLENGE: The Ramses Challenge is back this season. Fans can pledge support for the team in the Ramses Challenge for each goal the water polo team scores this season.
Be a part of the challenge by clicking here.
WHAT'S NEXT: Fordham will next be in action on Saturday, November 18
th at the MAWPC Championship, hosted at Bucknell University. The Rams will play in the semifinals at 2:30 PM against either Wagner or George Washington.
