Women’s Soccer Kicks Off 2017 Season in Nevada

Bronx, N.Y. - The first official games of the 2017-18 Fordham Athletics calendar take place this weekend, as the Fordham women's soccer team takes to the pitch for their first two games of the regular season.  The Rams are in Reno, Nevada to face Nevada on Friday in the 2017 opener, followed by a Sunday match-up in Moraga, California at Saint Mary's.
 
GAME COVERAGE:
Friday – Fordham vs. Nevada at Moana Springs Sports Complex – 8:30 PM ET (5:30 PM PT) – Live Stats | Follow on Twitter @FordhamWSoccer
 
Sunday – Fordham at Saint Mary's – 6:30 PM ET (3:30 PM PT) – Live Stats | Follow on Twitter @FordhamWSoccer
 
SCOUTING CORNER: Fordham enters 2017 after a second consecutive trip to the Atlantic 10 Championship and second straight 10-win season.  The Rams though will have some new faces this season, having lost five starters from last year's squad.  Fordham does however have a pair of Atlantic 10 award winners back in the fold in Second Team All-Atlantic 10 selection Brooke Salmon and Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team selection Margaret Roughley, as well as a trio of senior starters in Natalie Sims, Rachel Collage, and Carlie Wagner.

 
Nevada was selected to finish 12^th in the Mountain West preseason coaches' poll, after finishing 5-13-0 a year ago.  The Wolfpack have ten newcomers on this year's roster, which is under the direction of first-year head coach Erin Otagaki.
 
Saint Mary's was picked to finish eighth in the West Coast Conference, after a 5-13-2 season in 2016.  The Gaels are under the direction of third-year head coach Travis Clarke, and bring speed to the pitch, led by senior Hannah Diaz, who was a First Team All-WCC selection in 2016 and earned a spot on the U.S. U23 National Team roster.
 
SERIES HISTORY: This will be the second-ever meeting between Fordham and Nevada with the only other contest being a 1-0 Nevada win on September 11, 2009.  Sunday's matchup with Saint Mary's will be the first-ever between the two schools.
 
SEASON OPENERS: In season opening matches, Fordham has had a mixed bag of results, posting a 10-12-2 mark.  The Rams last won their season opener in 2015 over Wagner, 1-0, marking the first time since 2010 that Fordham started the season with a victory.  Fordham played to a 1-1 tie in last year's opener against DePaul.
 
PRESEASON POLL & AWARDS: With women's soccer season opening on Friday, the Atlantic 10 Conference released its preseason coaches' poll and preseason All-Conference team, with Fordham being picked to finish seventh.

For the ninth consecutive year, the Dayton women's soccer team has been chosen as the Atlantic 10 Conference preseason favorite in a vote conducted by the league's 14 head coaches.

The defending conference champions earned 179 votes and nine first-place votes to take the top spot in the rankings.  Saint Louis ranked second in the predicted order of finish with 172 points and four first-place votes, followed by Saint Joseph's, who nabbed one top vote, rounding out the top three with 164 points.

George Washington was tabbed fourth, followed by Duquesne, George Mason, Fordham, Richmond, VCU, La Salle, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Davidson, and St. Bonaventure. 
 
EXHIBITION ACTION: The Rams played one exhibition contest during the preseason, falling at St. John's by a 1-0 score at Belson Stadium in Queens.

WHO'S NEXT: Following this weekend's action, Fordham stays on the road for its next match, where the Rams travel to Manhattan on August 25^th, for a 4:00 PM start.