By Tyler Friere
Janos Loebe contests a Quinnipiac possession. (Courtesy of Fordham Athletics.)
After a tie and a loss to start the season, the Fordham Men’s soccer team came home to the Bronx to host the Quinnipiac University Bobcats in the first match of the year at Jack Coffey Field on Friday, followed by the Fairfield Stags on Labor Day.
The Rams opened their home schedule on a sour note, falling 1-0 to Quinnipiac. The only goal of the match would come in the eighth minute, as the Bobcats capitalized on a corner kick from the left side and found the head of Conor McCoy from four yards out for his first goal of the season.
Fordham was the aggressor throughout the match, tallying up 15 total shots as opposed to Quinnipiac’s six. But the Rams could not get one past the great goal- keeping of Quinnipiac’s Chrys Iakovidis, who made three crucial saves.
The best chance for the Rams came in the 50th minute off the boot of sophomore Janos Loebe, as he connected on a shot that was headed for goal, but a Quinnipiac defender directed it away. Another great opportunity to equalize came in the 81st minute. It was Loebe again as he let off a rocket of a shot that bounced off the left post. That would be the last Rams opportunity in the match, as the Bobcats spoiled the Fordham’s home opener on Friday night at Jack Coffey Field.
Janos Loebe finished with three shots and one on goal for the match as Fordham was handed its second loss of the year.
The Rams redeemed themselves at home in their very next game. Fairfield visited Jack Coffey Field on Labor Day in what became an exciting match fitting for a holiday, with the Rams coming out on top 2-1 in overtime.
The match started out exactly the same as the Quinnipiac game, with the visiting team getting on the board in the eighth minute. Ben Wingall for the Stags cleaned up a deflection off of a Fordham defender to find the back of the net and give the Rams an unwelcome sense of déjà vu.
The Rams would head into the half still down 1-0, but it would not last for long in the second half. The brother connection of Janos and junior Jannik
Loebe got the ball into the box, and then junior Eric Ohlendorf cleaned it up and headed the ball in for the equalizer in the 52nd minute.
After a few crucial saves from sophomore keeper Rashid Nuhu, the game went to overtime. It would not stay there long, as junior Cole Stevenson ripped in the game-winning goal just 39 seconds into the overtime period. The Rams, who had entered the game with just one goal in their opening games, came out on top 2-1.
Ohlendorf’s 52nd minute goal was his first of the season, and just the second of his career. Stevenson’s goal was his second of the season. Nuhu showed out in goal for the Rams after giving up the early goal, saving seven shots to give Fordham a chance.
While this first win was important for the Rams, they are still looking for more contributions from their top players. After leading the team in goals, assists and shots taken last year, Janos Loebe looks to build off that great year. His brother, junior Jannik Loebe, who was second in goals and assists, also needs to play a major role in the team’s offense in order to contend for an A-10 championship.
If this squad wants to make a run at the A-10 championship this season, it starts with the back line of Matthew Lewis, Andrew Hickey, Joergan Oland and goal keeper Rashid Nuhu.
But no matter how the defense plays, there is an issue if you cannot put the ball in the back of the net, and only scoring one goal in the first three matches is certainly alarming. While they finally found the back of the next a couple times against Fairfield, they will need to be more consistent offensively to try and improve on last season’s 7-8-4 record.
The Rams’ next game will be on Sept. 9th at 7 p.m., when they will be at home against Lafayette.
