MADISON, N.J. (Sep. 1, 2016) — Thanks to a strong defensive outing from wire to wire and capitalizations on two good chances, the Drew University men's soccer team won the Battle of Madison Avenue versus FDU-Florham, 2-0, on Opening Night under the lights of Ranger Stadium.
 
Turning Point: After a promising first half, the Rangers broke out of the break with energy. After a perfect through ball played by senior midfielder and captain Dylan Hammer, senior midfielder Joe Sollod got a foot on it to redirect back toward center. Waiting for the carom was senior forward Sebastien Etta-Ashu who whipped a strike on net for Drew's first goal of the year and the 10^th of Etta-Ashu's career.
 
Top Performers: With an assist on the night's first goal, Sollod has hit 10 assists on his career. He led the team in assists last season with five.
 
The tenacity of freshman forward Andy Imoh impressed the crowd. Imoh charged every long pass and pestered the opposing goalie at every chance. Imoh showed off speed, pitch awareness and a soft touch in his debut. Shortly after tapping a floater over the goalie's head that was turned away by the crossbar, Imoh won a footrace that resulted in Drew's second goal. Imoh, after giving his man a 10-foot head start zipped past him, won the ball, and scooted a pass to senior midfielder Cole Leckburg who finished the try with five minutes to go in the contest.
 
Senior goaltender John Marques made a couple strenuous saves to turn in a clean sheet.
 
Other Highlights: The Rangers tested the Devils net minder for the first good time with seconds ticking down in the first half. They flicked on a header that forced the goalie to dive to keep the score at zero.
 
Stat Sheet: The Rangers outshot their opponent 15-9, with Hammer taking three, Etta-Ashu with three, and Imoh with two.

Quotable: 
 
Up Next: Next on the docket is the 33rd annual Fall Festival Tournament, where the host Rangers open up action against Hood College on Saturday, September 3rd at 6:00 p.m.