By Tara Cangialosi
This past Friday may have been Senior Night for the Fordham men’s soccer team, but the Rams’ six seniors will get to suit up at least one more time, as the team qualified for the Atlantic 10 Championship on Sunday for the first time since 2011.
With a 3-3 record in the conference before its contest against Duquesne on Friday, Nov. 7, the team’s chances of making the A-10 Championship in two weeks were indefinite.
However, the Rams fought for a 1-1 tie with the Dukes, and were awarded the sixth seed in the championship after awaiting the results of Sunday’s games, which will be held from Nov. 13 to 16 at Sports Backers Stadium in Richmond, Virginia.
“It feels great knowing that we made the playoffs,” senior goalkeeper Sean Brailey said. “We set this as a goal in the beginning of the season, and it’s something that almost none of us on the team have experienced yet, so it’s exciting.”
Going into Sunday, Fordham had 11 conference points, good for sixth place in the A-10. In the end, Fordham, Dayton and La Salle were all tied for sixth in standings, but the Rams had defeated both squads during the season, giving the Rams the tie-breaker point and sixth seed.
Though the seed came as a result of Fordham’s earlier victories against its fellow A-10 rivals, the tie against Duquesne on Friday was significant. Because of the tie, the Dukes did not qualify for the championship and finished in ninth place behind Fordham with a 3-4-1 conference record.
In the game, the brisk weather gave both Fordham and Duquesne a hard time in the first half, as the majority of play took place between the football field’s 30 yard lines. Neither team could push the ball into the final third to create significant scoring chances, and the game remained scoreless.
However, both teams turned on the energy in the second half.
In the 56th minute, Fordham’s defense misplayed a ball on the left side of the field and the Dukes sped upfield. Karter Sell made the run down the sideline and centered the ball, where Kadeem Pantophlet finished it just under the crossbar from 15 yards out to give Duquesne a 1-0 lead.
But, the lead would last no longer than 30 seconds, as Fordham’s attack off the kickoff proved successful.
Junior Ole Sandness hit a through ball to graduate student Aleksandar Mastilovic on the right side. Mastilovic one-timed the pass, finding senior forward Mike McNamara on the run to goal. McNamara scored his second goal of the year on the pass from eight yards out, tying the game at one.
For the remainder of the 90 minute game, neither team could find the go-ahead goal. This trend continued into overtime, though the Dukes came dangerously close to putting the game away several times.
Within the first ten-minute period, Duquesne’s Dorian Kouame found himself alone on the right side of the box, one-on-one with Brailey. The senior keeper stopped the initial shot, but the rebound went off a Fordham defender toward the goal. Fortunately for the Rams, junior Ryan Cupolo was there to clear the ball just before it went over the line to preserve the tie.
Moments later, Brailey was tested again. Kouame had another opportunity in front of the goal, but Brailey made a diving save and pounced on the ball just before it got to the line.
The second overtime period was less eventful, as neither team could convert its chances. Despite the Rams’ 12 total shots to Duquesne’s 23, Fordham walked away with the tie.
“I think our ability to stay compact defensively and withstand most of their attacks was a statement about how disciplined our team is,” freshman Christopher Bazzini said. “We had to grind out a few attacks and even save some balls off the line. When we conceded the goal, we could have put our heads down and quit but we responded immediately with a goal of our own.”
This type of play is exactly what Fordham will need in the A-10 Championship, as they will face the three seed and tournament host, VCU.
- The Rams’ first opponent in the Atlantic 10 Tournament will be VCU, who they will play Thursday night. Kellyn Simpkins/The Ram
The championship’s quick turn-around, where teams could potentially play three games in four days, will be a challenge as players may sustain injuries and fatigue as the games progress.
One of the most important things for Fordham will be maintaining a high level of energy for the entirety of the game. The Rams need to push through the fatigue and soreness, and not allow lapses in intensity.
At this point in the season, teams will capitalize on a lackadaisical moment of play and counter, possibly catching the Rams off-guard.
This alone has cost Fordham against opponents during the regular season, and letting it happen again during the championship would be a glaring mistake.
A final key factor will be finishing shots and keeping composure in the final third. Though the Rams executed when they needed to at times during the season, they were not as consistent as they could have been.
They have plenty of offensive options up top in seniors Andres Penfold and Mike McNamara, who seems to have a nose for the goal lately.
Freshmen Jannik Loebe and Ollie Kelly will also be key in the Rams’ continued forward momentum in creating chances out of the midfield.
A strong defensive line headed by Brailey and Cupolo, along with the support of sophomore Andy Hickey and freshman Kyle Losi, will also be critical in slowing down VCU’s surges toward goal.
If Fordham can stay composed on the defensive end and make the most of its scoring opportunities when they arise, they have a good chance of making a run down in Virginia.
“Being in the A-10 Championship is a testament to the team’s hard work and dedication,” senior Andres Penfold said. “That being said, there’s still work left to be done and hopefully more games to be played.”
The Atlantic 10 Championship will kick off on Thursday, Nov. 13, when all eight teams will play a first round game.
Fordham will take the field against VCU under the lights in the day’s final game at 8 p.m.
Top-seeded Rhode Island will face Dayton earlier in the day at 11 a.m., George Mason and Davidson clash at 2 p.m. and Saint Louis and La Salle square off at 5 p.m.
If the Rams defeat the host squad, they will play the winner of Saint Louis and La Salle at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
After an off-day on Saturday, the winners of the semifinal matches will face each other in the finals at 1 p.m. The winner will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, in addition to the A-10 Championship title.
All seven matches can be live-streamed on Atlantic10.com for free.
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Tara Cangialosi is the Web Editor for The Fordham Ram.