The Rams honored their 11 graduating seniors in pre-game festivities on Friday, October 28, prior to the game against La Salle.  However, the team gave them a better gift, with a 4-0 blanking of the Explorers.  Senior Aaron Markowitz scored a pair of goals in the win.

 

The Rams’ 11 seniors feted before the game were Michael Caputo, Matt Courtenay, Phil Ferrantello, Leonardo Gomez, Sam Jolly, Markowitz, John McHugh, Ryan Meara, John Niyonsaba, Andreas Pafitis and Tim Richardson.  All 11 players got into the game and three of the seniors scored all of the Rams goals.

Fordham got it going early as they jumped out to a 1-0 lead in just the 8^th minute.  The Rams capitalized on a La Salle turnover as Niyonsaba went down the middle of the pitch and took a pass from Michael Valencia in the air and blasted the ball off of an Explorers’ defender and past the goalie for the game’s first goal.

 

There was a lengthy delay in the first half as La Salle’s Andrew Lil bumped heads with John Niyonsaba and both men went down.  Lil remained down and left the game.

 

The Rams had another scoring opportunity in the 37^th minute as Valencia took the ball, cut to his right and took a blast from way out that the goalie held on to for the save.  The game remained at 1-0 when Valencia and the Rams had another chance late in the first half.

 

In the 43^rd minute, Valencia took a pass in from the right side and put his head on the ball, but once again John McCarthy made the same for La Salle.

 

Fordham put the game out of reach in the second half.  They made the score 2-0 in the 54^th minute as Nathaniel Bekoe took the ball down the right side of the pitch, flicked it quickly to Valencia who got it to Tim Richardson who beat the goalie to the far side.

 

Less than 20 minutes later, Markowitz scored his first marker of the game.  He went on a run down the right side, took a pass from John McHugh with his head, headed it down in front of him, ran around the defender and beat the keeper to the far post.  His tally made the score 3-0.

 

His second goal of the game came in the 78^th minute when he faked out the goalie and beat him to the near side to make the score 4-0.  The Rams ran out the clock and had the victory.  Fordham outshot La Salle 12-5 and doubled them up on corner kicks 6-3.  Markowitz led the Rams with five shots while Valencia and Courtenay each had a pair.

 

With the win, the Rams improved to 9-6-1 overall, and 5-2 in the Atlantic 10.  They are tied for first and have away contests remaining at Saint Joseph’s and Temple.  The game with the Hawks is scheduled for Friday, November 4 at 7:00 PM.