Rams Drop Close Contest at Bergen Catholic, Rhode Island Road Trip This Week

****If you are not following the lacrosse program on social media you’re missing a lot of fantastic content being posted with our partner Prolific Sports Lab (founded by lacrosse alum Nick Coppola ‘15).  Follow at @fordhampreplax on IG and Twitter to see game details and highlights, player interviews, and Spring trip videos.****

In the lone game of the week, the Rams started out strong against Bergen Catholic (NJ) taking an early 2 - 0 lead and extending it to 5 - 1 before the Crusaders same storming back in the second quarter.  The Prep dominated the first quarter and a half with solid offense and strong defense until Bergen Catholic ripped off four in a row in the last few minutes of the second quarter to tie it 5 - 5 at the half.  The Crusaders then went up two at 7 - 5, but Fordham scratched back to even it up late in the third quarter with Ryan Bracchitta ‘27’s (Scarsdale) third and fourth scores of the day.  The fourth quarter was all Bergen Catholic as they netted three more and held the Rams to one for a 11 - 8 victory.  The Prep defense and goalie Cash Berner ‘27 (Rye) kept the Rams in it as the Crusaders outshot the Rams 40 to 25.  Berner ‘27 finished with a career high 20 saves while Bracchitta 27’s five goals were also a career high and matched his five point output (4G/1A) against Poly Prep last year.  John Denning ‘28 (Bronxville) tallied three assists in the effort and leads the team in that category with nine.

Congratulations to Matthew Waters ‘27 (Manhattan) on registering his first career varsity point.  The Varsity (here) and JV (here) rosters are now up on the website, as well as the Varsity stats (here).

The Prep has a full week ahead starting with a game against Poly Prep today before the boys head up to the Ocean State to face Moses Brown (RI) and Barrington High School (RI).  Fordham beat Poly Prep handedly last year 16 - 3, behind Dima Athanason ‘26’s (Mamaroneck) five goals and Bracchitta ‘27’s four tallies, and have won its two most recent games against the Blue Devils.  Poly is 1 - 1 on the season so far.    The Prep went up to Rhode Island last season for three games including a one goal loss to Barrington 8 - 7 and a 9 - 6 win at Moses Brown.  This season Barrington is 2 - 0 with both wins by a goal while Moses Brown has yet to play its first game.

Bergen Catholic Recap:  L 11 - 8

Drew Pagen ‘26 (Rye) broke the ice four minutes into the game on a high bouncer that found the net right below the crossbar.  A minute later Matt Waters ‘27 picked up a scrappy ground ball and brought it over midfield, finding his brother Collin Waters ‘27 (Manhattan) cutting, who buried another high bouncer for the long pole goal.  For most of the quarter neither team could find the back of the net, as Cash Berner ‘27 made two saves on the doorstep, until the 46 second mark when the Crusaders cut the lead to one.  A Bergen Catholic penalty to start the second quarter gave the Rams a man-up opportunity and after one trip around the horn Ryan Bracchitta ‘27 capitalized to make it 2 - 1.  The Rams notched another score immediately after, when Will Freel ‘26 (Manhattan) picked off a Crusader clearing pass and dumped it in with 11:21 left in the half.  The Rams extended the lead to 5 - 1 on a second man-up as Bracchitta ‘27 launched another rocket from up top past the Crusader goalie.  Bergen Catholic finally answered with 3:42 left to make it 5 - 2 and scored another 20 seconds later to cut the lead to two.  The Crusaders kept grinding and netted two more at 25 seconds and 17 seconds left to tie it at the half.

Bergen Catholic opened the second half with a score on its first possession to take the 6 - 5 lead and followed that up with another off a Rams failed clear.  The Prep cut the Crusader lead back to one as Pagen ‘26 found Bracchitta ‘27 for his third of the day at 2:32 remaining and he followed that up with one more at 59 seconds to tie it 7 - 7.  A late goal by the Crusaders made it 8 - 7 at the end of three quarters.   Bergen Catholic sprinkled in goals at the 9:32 and 8:40 marks until Bracchitta ‘27 got his fifth of the day at 7:05 on a turn around lefty shot, making it 10 - 8.  One more from the hosts in the waning minutes made it an 11 - 8 final.

Stat Line:  Bracchitta ‘27 5G, Pagen ‘26 1G/1A/3GB, Denning ‘28 3A, Freel ‘26 1G/3GB, C. Waters ‘27 1G, M. Waters ‘27 1A, Berner ‘27 20 saves