By MAX PRINZ
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
After a shutout win in their home opener, the Fordham men’s soccer team suffered a disappointing road trip. The Rams’ success at Jack Coffey Field did not accompany them on the road, as they lost to Northeastern 1-0 and fell to Army 1-0 in double overtime.
“The thing is, we played based on the atmosphere over there,” senior Nathaniel Bekoe said. “We try to adjust to the atmosphere we’re playing in. Nothing is really different in the game but you do notice the traveling.”
The Rams’ match with Northeastern was tightly contested for the entire first half. The Rams registered four first-half shots and the Huskies took five. Fordham’s best opportunity came on a free kick from senior Nathaniel Bekoe, but junior Ollie Kelly’s attempt went over the crossbar. There was very little offense to be found.
The second half was a different story. The Huskies were reenergized coming out of the break. They scored a goal just 1:26 into the second half, taking control of the game. Though that early goal would be the only tally, the Huskies’ offense dominated the Rams in the second half. Fordham surrendered 10 shots in the second half alone, and only managed one. The Huskies’ shot advantage, 15-5 for the game, was a clear indicator of the Rams’ struggles.
After a disappointing showing at Northeastern, the Rams traveled to face Army. The Black Knights entered the match on Saturday with a 4-0-0 record and had yet to allow a single goal. Army would continue that string of success against Fordham.
The match was very much a defensive struggle. Each team managed just one shot on goal in the first half. The third scoring chance of the game came in the second half when freshman Jon Agostino forced the Army goalkeeper to make a stop. The second half finished with neither team scoring, sending the match into overtime.
It was in the second session of overtime that the Rams finally succumbed to Army. The Black Knights scored in the 104th minute of the match to keep Army undefeated. The Rams lost the corner kick battle 7-1 and were outshot 15-9 on the match. Coming in double overtime, the second loss was even more difficult than the first.
“Army is a very tough atmosphere to adjust to,” Bekoe said. “I actually think we did that pretty well but it just didn’t go on our side. It was a tough loss in double overtime.”
The thorny road trip drops the Rams’ record to 2-3 on the year. Their next match is Friday, Sept. 20 against Stony Brook. Hopefully playing on Jack Coffey Field can turn the team’s fortunes around.
