Riverdale, NY – In what could arguably be one of the highest-anticipated matchups between the two schools in 49 seasons, the 6-1 Manhattan Jaspers host the 3-0-2 Fordham Rams in the Battle of the Bronx at Gaelic Park on Tuesday, September 18 at 7:00 pm.
All fans attending the game get in at no cost, and the first 100 students who show a valid Manhattan College ID will receive a free Battle of the Bronx t-shirt.
Fans who are unable to make it to the game have the option to follow along with the action on the Jasper Sports Network, with Greg Mescall on the call beginning at 6:55 pm. Live stats will also be provided using the links at the top right of the article.
In case you missed it…
Manhattan extended its winning streak to three games after blanking Saint Joseph's 2-0 on Saturday, September 15. Junior defender
Adrien Awana netted a free kick in the 53th minute to put the Jaspers ahead, while fifth-year senior forward
Troy Carrington add an insurance goal in the 75th minute.
Marcellin Gohier posted two saves for his third clean sheet of the season, moving him into second place on Manhattan's all-time shutouts list.
In addition, the Jaspers hosted its annual Alumni Game, where past student-athletes from across four decades of Jasper men's soccer returned to Gaelic Park for the Green and White scrimmage and to interact with the current team.
Another Weekly Award for Marcellin
- Following his shutout of Saint Joseph's, Gohier was named the MAAC Defensive Player of the Week for the week of September 17.
- It is Gohier's second weekly award this season after he was selected for the week of September 3.
Soon…
- Tuesday's game marks the final non-conference bout of the season for Manhattan.
- The Jaspers being MAAC play on Wednesday, September 26 at Monmouth.
Pulling Rank
- Manhattan rose to fifth place in the United Soccer Coaches East Region Poll this week after sliding into seventh place the week before.
- Fordham now sits at 25th in the rankings and fourth in the Southeast Region following a #12 and #2 ranking last week, respectively.
- The Jaspers have as many wins as five programs ranked in the Top 25.
Inside the 25
- The Jaspers play their first non-conference ranked opponent since the 2013 season, when they visited #17 Syracuse.
- It will be the fourth ranked team Manhattan plays this decade, when they squared off against #1 Connecticut back in 2011 and the 10th-ranked Huskies in 2010.
Home Splits
- In 2018, Manhattan is 3-0 at home, outscoring opponents 7-1 and posting a pair of shutouts.
- Fordham, who has played all of their matches away from the Bronx, is 2-0-2 with a goal differential of 2 in games where they were designated as the visiting team.
The Series History
- Tuesday will mark the continuation of a 49-year rivalry between Manhattan and Fordham that began in 1969.
- Of the program's 854 career games, the Jaspers have dueled the Rams in 45 of them.
- Fordham holds a 30-12-3 edge in the series, which includes a 3-0 win last year at Coffey Field.
- The Jaspers seek their first win against the Rams since September 1, 2004. In that matchup, Justin Schultz converted a penalty kick and Collin Leaver made seven saves in the 1-0 decision.
Scouting Report: Fordham
- The Rams come off a 1-1 tie against MAAC foe Marist Poughkeepsie, NY back on September 12 and have earned back-to-back draws in their last two contests.
- Fordham's wins this season have come against Holy Cross, Wisconsin and Northwestern.
- Janos Loebe leads the squad with five assists and seven points, while Joergen Oland's three goals tops the team.
- Goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu, who posted a two-save shutout in last year's battle, is 2-0-2 between the pipes, collecting 13 saves and allowing four goals.
***NOTE: The rankings have been updated from the original story to reflect the shift in the USC rankings, which were made official on September 18.
