Riverdale, NY - Junior
Adrien Awana (Bordeaux, France / University of Bordeaux) blasted a header past a diving Rashid Nuhu in the 90th minute to lift Manhattan to a thrilling 1-0 win over No. 25 Fordham in the Battle of the Bronx at Gaelic Park.
The Jaspers conclude non-conference play with a 7-1 record while the defending Elite 8 representative Rams fall to 3-1-2.
With less than a minute to play, Fordham's back line booted a cross out of bounds to give the Jaspers their third corner kick of the game. On the ensuing play, freshman
James Cotter (Wigan, England / Hawkley Hall) delivered a perfect ball to Awana, who was able to flick it to the far left corner in breaking the scoreless drought with just 36 seconds remaining.
Junior
Marcellin Gohier (Nantes, France / CENS) made two saves in collecting his fourth clean sheet of the year.
Manhattan now enjoys an eight-day break in game action before heading to West Long Branch, NJ to face Monmouth in the 2018 MAAC opener. Kickoff is expected at 7:00 pm.
JSN HIGHLIGHTS
FIRST HALF
- The Jaspers almost took a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute when junior captain Tristan Doran (Jupiter, FL / Benjamin) found sophomore forward Berti Fourrier (Marseille, France / IFC Marseille), who flicked a roller that struck the right post.
- Gohier lined up his first save a minute later, stopping a shot from outside the box.
- In the 18th minute, sophomore forward Brandon Joseph-Buadi launched a close-range shot that Nuhu deflected. Senior forward Lucas Da Silve (West Palm Beach, FL / Palm Beach Atlantic) corralled the rebound and sent it high.
- Midfielders Milan Devuyst (Ostend, Belgium / ODU) and Thomas Hitchins (Raleigh, NC / Wakefield) denied two crossing attempts from Fordham's Janos Loebe halfway through the period.
- Fordham earned an indirect free kick in the 34th minute that senior Jean-Baptiste Tamas-Leloup (Sainte Bazeille, France / Merignac) was in the right spot to head it away.
SECOND HALF
- Four minutes out of halftime, Joseph-Buadi shook off a defender and passed to Fourrier, who sent the shot wide right.
- Gohier came 25 yards out of his net and made a nifty slide tackle to dispossess a Ram in the 52nd minute.
- Joseph-Buadi and Fourrier almost connected again in the 57th minute when the former sent a cross from the left corner that got past the keeper, but the latter was a step late to head it in.
- In an odd statistical play in the 66th minute, Nuhu was credited with a shot on goal and Gohier with a save after Nuhu took a free kick close to midfield and fired it towards the net.
- Junior forward Noah Amissah (London, England / Orleans Park) had a beautiful corner cross to Fourrier in the 70th minute, but Nuhu dove to his left to deny the one-timer.
- Manhattan earned its first corner kick of the contest in the 76th minute. Senior midfielder Ryan Shields (Wigan, England / Standish Community) rifled the out-swinging kick right into Nuhu's gloves.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- This is Manhattan's first win over a ranked opponent on record in program history.
- The Jaspers beat Fordham for the first time since 2004.
- Since Manhattan's first year in the MAAC in 1987, its .875 winning percentage is the highest in non-conference play.
- Following the game, Manhattan's RPI jumped to 47.
- Gohier's fourth shutout of the season gives him 11 in his Manhattan career, one shy of tying the all-time record set by Andy Hlushko '83.
- Manhattan had all but one game in non-conference action with less than 10 shots after outshooting the Rams 11-5.
- Thirteen of Manhattan's 17 goals this year have come in the second half.
- Awana is now tied for the team lead, scoring his four goals in the last five games and all on set pieces.
- Cotter earned his first career point as a member of the Jaspers.
- All five corners of the game came in the second half.
- Junior defender Angee Komano (Toulouse, France / Université Montpellier) returned to the starting lineup for the first time since August 30.
- The official attendance of 498 is the largest crowd at Gaelic Park for a men's soccer game in at least the last six seasons.
