Bronx, N.Y. (September 23, 2006)- Manhattan looked to post a historic upset, taking local rival and #12 ranked Fordham University to overtime, but came up just short, dropping a hard-fought, 1-0, decision tonight in the Battle of the Bronx game at Jack Coffey Field.
Second-year head coach Michael Swanwick's side came out of the gates aggressively against their cross-boro rival, recording the first corner kick, shot, and shot on goal (by
Adam Kiley) of the game, all within the first five minutes. Fordham (6-0-2) was able to hold off the initial surge, and the Rams settled in to what they now realized would be a tense, well-played match.
Manhattan's next scoring opportunity came in the 27th minute, but Fordham keeper Doug Deveraux corralled
Anthony Cacciola's shot.
At that point the Rams began to carry play, causing Jasper goalkeeper
John Ciano to make his first save of the game in the 29th minute before a Manhattan player cleared out a sure-goal at the 36:03 point. Ciano added one more save to his tally before the opening stanza expired, but the Jasper defense held firm, and the two teams went into the break knotted at 0-0.
Out of the locker room in the second half, Fordham continued to show the form that earned them a 2-1 win over then-#9 South Florida on the road earlier in the season, applying offensive pressure on the opposing netminder. The Rams nearly got on the board at the 49:40 mark, but Omero Rozen's shot hit the cross bar and caromed away. Lady Luck smiled down on Manhattan one more time, this time in the 65th minute, when for a second time the cross bar was just thick enough to deflect the ball away from the net.
Ciano came up with his fifth and final save of the night at the 74:08 mark, stopping a shot from Patrick McNamee.
The Jasper offense took this stroke of fortune and took their chance at cracking the scoreboard, as
Sean Morin put a shot on net at the 84:22 mark and
Tommy Lenhardt also forcing Deveraux to make a game-saving stop, this time just 1:27 before the end of the regulation.
Just 1:48 into the overtime, Fordham's Alfredo Runco ended Manhattan's upset bid, getting off a shot from the left side that Ciano was able to get his hands on, but the rebound caromed right to a wide open Kevin Meyer, who put it to the back of the net.
Manhattan gets back in action on Tuesday, September 26, traveling to West Point, N.Y. to take on Army at 7:00 p.m.
