The Rams celebrated after recording their first win of the season at home, a 2-1 defeat of Lafayette. Maria Ancona/The Ram
By Tara Cangialosi
The Keating Hall bells were not the only chimes heard on campus this weekend.
The Fordham men’s soccer team rang the victory bell following its first win of the season this past Friday, Sept. 5, when it defeated Lafayette College 2-1.
The Rams managed to bounce back from two tough losses against Boston University and Boston College in their first two games of the season.
On Aug. 31, Boston University’s Lucas McBride scored in the final second of the first overtime period to lift the Terriers to a 1-0 win. Two days later, the Rams fell 2-0 to BU’s cross-town rival, Boston College.
Despite the losses, the Rams made a victorious return to Jack Coffey Field on Friday, where they registered 11 shots from seven different players.
“Being at home and feeding off of the crowd that showed up to support us was definitely one of the differences between last weekend and being away at Boston,” Andres Penfold, a senior transfer from Monmouth University, said.
The match began with good ball movement out of the back from Fordham’s Ryan Cupolo and Andy Hickey, and progressed through the midfield. The Rams maintained a strong possession game early on, creating offensive opportunities.
Penfold converted one of these chances for Fordham’s first goal, putting the Rams ahead 1-0 10 minutes into the match. Penfold cut the ball back with his left foot and struck a beautiful shot into the upper left corner of the net from 20 yards out.
Following the goal, the team’s ball possession remained strong, but the players struggled to get by the Leopards’ defensive line.
“As the season progresses and our players continue to become more comfortable with each other, this is something that will keep improving,” Penfold said.
Lafayette almost found an equalizer with 14 minutes left in the half when Julian Plummer rocketed a loose ball at Fordham’s goalkeeper, Sean Brailey. The senior made an unbelievable save to knock the ball away, and another within the final minute of the half to save the lead for the Rams.
At the start of the second half, Penfold again gave the Rams a score. Off a long run and a well-executed cross from junior Kyle Bitterman, Penfold sent a header past Lafayette keeper Sandy Leavy to give the Rams a 2-0 lead.
“Scoring two goals during our home opener in front of our home fans was a great experience,” Penfold said. “However, I’m lucky to be the one playing up front. Our midfielders and defenders did a great job in disrupting the opposing team’s play and putting me in a position to score.”
Five minutes later, Lafayette’s Ryan Egan found the back of the net when he recovered a loose ball amongst a scrap of Fordham defenders. He fired a laser shot to Brailey’s far right, beating the Rams’ keeper and bringing the score to 2-1.
The Leopards continued to press forward for the remainder of the game, testing Fordham’s defensive line and Brailey in goal. On offense, Fordham could not find the back of the net with an insurance goal.
The Rams’ best chances late in the game came from substitutes Eric Ohlendorf, a freshman, and Eric Walano, a senior. Ohlendorf’s shot went wide, while Walano’s was blocked by a defender, and neither player was rewarded with a goal.
Even without the insurance goal, the Rams were able to hold Lafayette to one goal, earning them the 2-1 win.
“Before this game, we had shown positive flashes but were never able to put a string of plays together,” Penfold said. “I think the game marked the first time this season that we were able to put 90 good minutes together.”
The Rams returned to action on Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 7 p.m., defeating cross-town rival Manhattan College 3-1 in the annual Battle of the Bronx.
They will next travel to Newark, N.J. this Sat., Sept. 13, to face the New Jersey Technical Institute, with game time being set for 7 p.m.
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Tara Cangialosi is the Web Editor for The Fordham Ram.
