Despite controlling the field for much of the match, the men’s soccer team could not find the back of the net Saturday in its first match of the season against Fordham University (2-1, 0-0 Atlantic), and the Bulldogs succumbed to a 2–0 shutout.
“I left the game disappointed but definitely still optimistic for how we will do this season” defender Nick Alers ’14 said.
Yale (0-1, 0-0 Ivy) controlled the opening minutes of the first half with two shots and a corner within the first four minutes. Yale continued piling on the pressure in the fifth minute when forward Jenner Fox ’14 and team captain Max McKeirnan ’14 both had their shots blocked inside the Fordham 18-yard box in a mad scramble in front of the Rams’ net. The Rams counter-attacked and quickly tapped a goal into Yale’s far post.
Fordham’s lead came much against the run of play and shocked the Bulldogs after their bright start.
Yale’s best chance to tie the game during the half occurred in the 29th minute after a Fordham defender played a weak clearance into the path of midfielder Conner Lachenbruch ’15, who volleyed the ball toward the net from 30 yards out and forced a fine save from the Fordham goalkeeper. Forward Peter Jacobsen ’14 forced the Fordham goalkeeper into making another save with another shot in the 39th minute, leaving Yale still down 1-0 going into halftime.
The Bulldogs again put pressure on Fordham shortly after the intermission with four consecutive corners in the span of just over a minute, but the team could not translate the pressure into a goal.
Fordham countered with pressure of its own, forcing Yale goalkeeper Blake Brown ’15 to make a save in the 68th minute. A Yale foul in the 71st minute set up a Fordham long free kick, which eluded all the Yale defenders and landed right on the foot of a Fordham player, who redirected the ball into the right-hand side of Yale’s net for a 2-0 Fordham lead.
Fordham’s goal put the Bulldogs in a hole from which they would not recover. Yale had two more corners and two shots during the last 15 minutes but could not mount a comeback.
“Despite the negative result there were a lot of good things to pull from the game,” Brown said. “Moving forward, this team has a lot of potential that I believe will reveal itself in the games to come.”
Yale had nine shots in the game to go along with 10 corners, but the Bulldogs committed 14 fouls and ran into a stingy Ram defense.
The Elis will next play at Sacred Heart Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.