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Long Beach, Calif. – (October 21, 2025) – In a hotly contested match between two top ten teams, the fifth-ranked Fordham Rams used last second goals to force overtime and then sudden death overtime, eventually taking a 16-15 win over #10 Long Beach State at the LBCC Aquatics Complex in Long Beach, California.
 
With the win, Fordham improved to 14-1 on the year.
 
THE GAME


The re-match of last year’s national quarterfinal began with Long Beach State opening with a 3-2 lead after the first quarter, behind two goals by Caleb Francisco.
Luca Provenziani tied the game at three early in the second quarter, but three straight markers for LBSU had the lead at 7-4 by halftime.
The teams traded goals to a 10-7 score when Francisco scored on a penalty shot to build up Long Beach State’s largest lead to four, 11-7.
The Rams then mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter, pulling within one, 12-11, after a goal by Balazs Berenyi and two by Provenziani.
After a goal by LBSU, Luca Silvestri and Provenziani each scored in the final minute to tie the game at 13 all.  The defense held up on the final possession, forcing overtime.
Francisco put LBSU ahead, 14-13, after the end of the first three-minute session of overtime, but Diego Tresa netted a power play goal to tie the game at 14 with 2:25 left.
Francisco once again put Long Beach ahead at 15-14, putting the Rams in a do-or-die situation in the final seconds of overtime.  Andras Toth saw his shot stopped on Fordham’s possession, but Barnabas Eppel came up with the rebound goal at one second left to tie the game at 15 and put the game into a sudden death overtime period.
Fordham goalkeeper Matthew Bonello DuPuis was the star of the final frame, recording three saves in the first few minutes.  After that third save, Provenziani came up with a steal and the game-winning tally to give Fordham the 16-15 win.

 
GAME NOTES


Provenziani finished with a team-high six goals to go with three assists, and two steals, while Silvestri had three goals, two assists, and two steals.
Andras Toth added two goals, two assists, and four steals, with Berenyi, Mark Dyck, Tresa, Eppel and Alessandro Salipante each having a goal.
Bonello DuPuis ended the match with a season-high 11 saves to go with three steals.

 
WHO’S NEXT


The Rams are next in action on Thursday, October 23rd with a road match at #2 Cal.