ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The Fordham men’s soccer team finally snapped its five-game losing streak this past Wednesday, defeating its rival Manhattan College 1-0 and winning the Battle of the Bronx. The Rams have now defeated the Jaspers nine years straight.

Going into Wednesday’s rivalry matchup, the Rams had lost five consecutive matches. They got their fair amount of chances throughout those five matches, but had been unable to convert. Injuries to key players, like freshman Andrew Hickey and senior Nathaniel Bekoe, had further compounded the Rams’ struggles, but they came out strong against the Jaspers.

The Rams started well in the first half. They got the first scoring chance of the match in the 15th minute after earning a corner kick. Sophomore Tommy Granot sent the ball in and senior Jack Bouchard’s attempt was just wide to the left.

Senior goalkeeper Alex Naples was instrumental in the Rams’ first half success. Naples made a diving save on a shot in the 40th minute that kept the game scoreless. It was a play that had not gone the Rams’ way in previous matches and a clear sign that this might be the time for them to break out of their slump.

That breakthrough came for the Rams in the 55th minute of the match. Freshman Jon Agostino took a Granot pass into the box, evaded a defender by going to his right and put a shot in the back of the net. Agostino’s second goal of the year gave the Rams a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the match.

For the remainder of play, the Fordham defense held strong. Though they surrendered 11 shots to the Jaspers, only three were on target. Naples did his job very well and earned a clean sheet, making three saves. The team broke out of its slump in a big way, and with the victory made even sweeter by the dispatching of a rival.

The win over Manhattan wraps up non-conference play for the Rams. The team, currently at 3-6 on the year, will begin A-10 conference play on the road against St. Louis on Oct. 11 and Dayton Oct. 13.