BRONX, N.Y. – The No. 18 Fordham men's soccer team will return to action on Monday night when it hosts the annual Battle of the Bronx rivalry match against Manhattan. Kick-off from Moglia Stadium is set for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Nick Guzman and Mike Smolens on the call.
The 18th ranked Rams will welcome the Jaspers on the heels of a Friday night falter, 2-1, on the road at Marist. Fordham took a 1-0 lead in just the third minute of action before Marist equalized in the 32nd minute and jumped ahead in the 65th. The Rams were playing without the services of center back Thomas Gray, who had started each of the team's first five games on the back line.
Against Marist, Daniel D'Ippolito scored his team-leading fifth goal of the season off an assist from Bennett Leitner. The junior's five goals are good enough for second in the league behind UMass' Alec Hughes.
The Red Foxes outshot Fordham by a 19-11 margin, including a 12-3 edge in shots on goal. Carter Abbott's 10 saves marked a career high for the graduate student in his 57th collegiate appearance.
After an 0-3 start that featured a pair of one-goal losses to BIG EAST schools, the Jaspers have rattled off back-to-back wins. Manhattan took down LIU, 2-1, on Sept. 7 before shutting out Columbia, 1-0, on Wednesday night. Both victories came at home.
The Jaspers boast a trio of multi-goal scorers, as Harry Bark, Ziv Dahan and Sebasitano Musu have all found the back of the net twice. Marquette transfer Ludvig Malberg has played every minute between the pipes this season for Manhattan, posting a 1.40 goals against average and a .650 save percentage.
The Rams and the Jaspers will meet for the 41st time since 1980, a series history that favors the Rams 28-10-2. Fordham has won each of the last two meetings between the squads, including a 2-0 win last September in Riverdale.
Monday night will mark Fordham's final game before the starting of conference play, as the Rams will head to St. Bonaventure on Saturday night for their A-10 opener.
