BRONX, N.Y. – Fresh off an unbeaten road swing to the start the season, the Fordham men's soccer team will make its 2024 home debut on Sunday afternoon when it plays host to Colgate. Kick-off from Moglia Stadium is set for 1 p.m. on ESPN+ with James Birle and Mike Smolens on the call.
Last season, Fordham was stellar at defending its home turf, going 5-0-3 at Moglia Stadium. It marked the Rams' second unbeaten season in the Bronx under Head Coach Carlo Acquista, who also guided Fordham to an undefeated home record during the Atlantic 10 Championship campaign of 2020-21.
Fordham opened the season with a ranked result on Aug. 22, playing then-No.17 Hofstra to a scoreless draw in Hempstead. Carter Abbott made four saves for his fourth clean sheet as a member of the Rams. As a team, Fordham outshot the three-time defending CAA Champions by a 14-9 margin led by six shots from Daniel D'Ippolito and four from Luke Pompliano.
Six days later at Sacred Heart, D'Ippolito provided the primary assist on freshman Daniel Lang's game-winner in the 77th minute, breaking a 1-1 stalemate and lifting the Rams to their first win of the season. Junior midfielder Noe Messer also found the back of the net against the Pioneers for the first time as a member of the Rams, erasing a short-lived Fordham deficit in the closing minutes of the first half.
Fordham has sent out the same starting XI in each of its first two matches. Seven of those starters are in their first year with the Rams, including six transfers, five of whom are graduate students. In total, eight members of the Fordham starting XI began their collegiate careers at another institution.
Colgate is off to a strong start in 2024, losing its season opener, 1-0, to then-No. 25 Syracuse before defeating then-No. 13 Virginia by the same score in Charlottesville. The Raiders, who were picked to finish fourth in the Patriot League, registered a lopsided 3-1 home win over Stonehill on Thursday night.
Fordham and Colgate will meet for the ninth time on Sunday afternoon with the Raiders holding a 6-2 edge in the series history. Six of those matches came during Fordham's Patriot League tenure (1990-94) and the teams have not faced off since 2005.
