Long Beach, Calif. – "Defense wins championships" is a sports cliché and aphorism used, particularly in team sports, to explain that although a team's offense may be glitzy, championships are usually decided by a strong defense. While the fourth-ranked Fordham water polo squad didn't win a championship today, the Rams used a strong defense, allowing just one goal in the fourth quarter and none in overtime, to defeat sixth-ranked Long Beach State, 14-10, at the Ken Lindgren Aquatics Center.
 
With the win, Fordham improves to 10-1 on the season while Long Beach State falls to 9-4.
 
The Beach scored with 3:24 remaining in regulation to tie the game at ten, which proved to be the final goal of the game for Long Beach State.
 
The first two minutes of the first overtime were scoreless before Fordham took advantage of a Long Beach State turnover when Mark Dyck fed Kojic who scored with just under a minute remaining - the lone tally in the first overtime.
 
Midway through the second overtime, Vuk Kojic struck again with an assists from Alessandro Salipante. Then, with Long Beach State pressing, Fordham goalie Victor Savic managed to beat The Beach goalie with a shot with 39 seconds left. Andrea Toth closed out the scoring for the Rams with his fourth goal of the game 17 seconds later.
 
Notes
• Toth led the Rams with four goals and two assists for six points while Kojic added two goals and four assists and Karlo Dragosevic netted three goals.
 
•  Savis finished with eleven saves in the Fordham net.
 
• Both teams were three-for-eight on the man advantage.
 
• It's the second straight year that Fordham and Long Beach State played an overtime match as the Rams defeated The Beach, 16-15, in overtime/sudden victory last year at Long Beach State.
 
• The Rams lead the all-time series with The Beach, 3-1.
 
What's Next?
• The Rams close out the California trip with a match at #15 Cal Baptist on Monday, September 28, at 2:00 p.m. (EST)