The Fordham football team defeated the College of Holy Cross 24-21 on Nov. 3 at Jack Coffey Field on the Rose Hill campus. With the win, Fordham clinched a tie for the Patriot League crown and the team will move on to its second ever NCAA FCS playoff, the first since 2002.
The Rams’ win put the team at 8-2 overall on the year, a perfect 5-0 in the Patriot League, while Holy Cross fall to 6-3 overall, 3-1 in the conference. The Rams also regained possession of the Ram-Crusader Cup after losing it to Holy Cross following last year’s loss. Fordham has now won six of the last seven match-ups with the Crusaders.
The game featured the top two offenses in the Patriot League but it turned into a defensive battle, thanks to the remnants of Hurricane Noel, which brought gusty winds to Jack Coffey Field.
“I told the TV guys during the week that it wouldn’t be a high scoring game,” said Fordham head coach Tom Masella. “We run very similar offenses and so our defenses are used to it. And it was also hard to throw the ball with the high winds today.”
Even as the football team moves on to post-season play, it’s basketball season at Fordham. Both the men’s and women’s squad tipped off their seasons in early November with high expectations for 2007-08.
Bryant Dunston will try to lead the men’s basketball team to an Atlantic 10 championship in his senior season.
Photo by Vincent Dusovic
Men’s Basketball
The men’s basketball squad has a plethora of experience returning, led by seniors Bryant Dunston, Marcus Stout, Kevin Anderson and Sebastian Greene, who have played in all 91 games for Fordham since arriving at Rose Hill in 2004-05, along with Michael Binns, who has appeared in 87 career games.
Dunston, a preseason First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection after earning Second Team honors last year, returns to lead the Rams after averaging 14.5 points per game, second best on the team and 16th best in the Atlantic 10.
Stout, a Preseason Third Team All-Atlantic 10 selection after earning Honorable Mention All-Atlantic 10 selection in 2007, averaged a team-high 15.3 points per game in 2006-07, 12th best in the Atlantic 10, while also leading the team in steals (49) and three-pointers made (74), ranking second and eighth in the conference, respectively.
The men’s basketball schedule features a 16-game Atlantic 10 Conference schedule and 14 home games, as well as match-ups with a pair of Big East opponents and an appearance in the 2007 CBE Classic.
Fordham will play six of its 10 non-conference games at home this winter, hosting the College of Charleston, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Robert Morris University, the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, Hofstra University and SUNY-Binghamton.
Fordham’s Atlantic 10 schedule includes home-and-home games with the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, Duquesne and Temple universities, as well as home dates with defending conference champions, George Washington Universities, along with the University of Dayton, La Salle University, the University of Rhode Island and St. Bonaventure University.
Senior Beth Troutt was second on the team in scoring last year.
Photo by Vincent Dusovic
Women’s Basketball
With eight new faces, the 2007-08 Fordham women’s basketball team will feature a new look for second-year head coach Cathy Andruzzi.
Returning for the Rams are senior forward Beth Troutt, junior guard Annie Zopf and sophomore guard Gina Giambanco. Last year, Troutt was second on the team in scoring, averaging 9.0 points per game along with 4.6 rebounds per game, while Zopf was third on the team in scoring (8.1 points per game), rebounding (3.9 rebounds per game) and free throw percentage (.742).
Joining the returning players are forward Takita Earl, forward Cassie Humphries, center Carissa Morrill, all junior college transfers, along with freshmen Kristina Bell, Megan Mahoney, Raina Spencer, Kyara Weekes and Alexandria Zamora.
The women’s schedule, which includes 15 home games, is highlighted by two tournaments, three doubleheaders with the Fordham men’s team, four games against Atlantic Coast Conference and Big East Conference teams, two games against NCAA Sweet Sixteen teams and a televised game against Duquesne at the Rose Hill Gym.
Fordham will host its first Holiday Tournament at the Rose Hill Gym on Dec. 29 and 30. This will be the first regular season tournament Fordham has hosted since 1990. Fordham will play Mount St. Mary’s College in the opening game of the tournament, followed by Troy University against Fairfield University.
In Atlantic 10 play, the Rams will host Saint Louis University on Jan. 12, followed by the first of three doubleheaders with the Fordham men’s team on Jan. 19, as the women take on La Salle. The other home doubleheader will take place on Feb. 27 when the women battle Charlotte.
Fordham will also be featured on CSTV this season, as the Rams host Duquesne at 2 p.m. on Jan. 27 for “Pack the House” day at Rose Hill Gym. In addition, Fordham will also have home match-ups against Rhode Island (Feb. 6), Dayton (Feb. 9), and Xavier (Feb. 20), while having road games at St. Bonaventure (Jan. 23), Massachusetts (Jan. 30), Richmond (Feb. 2), La Salle (Feb. 16), and George Washington (Mar. 1).
