Women’s Soccer Meets Manhattan in the 25th Battle of the Bronx on Friday

After splitting the opening two matches of the season, the Fordham women's soccer team returns to the Bronx for the 25^th edition of the Battle of the Bronx against Manhattan College on Friday.  Game time is set for 4:00 PM at Gaelic Park.
 
GAME COVERAGE:
Fordham at Manhattan – 4:00 PM – Live Video | Live Stats | Follow on Twitter @FordhamWSoccer
 
SERIES HISTORY: This will be the 25^th meeting between the two Bronx rivals with Fordham holding a 15-8-1 series edge.  The Rams have won the last three meetings, and four of the last five.  Last season, Fordham defeated Manhattan, 3-0, behind goals from Nicol Natale, Margaret Roughley, and Turner Block.  Manhattan's last win in the series came in 2013, a 2-1 overtime decision at Gaelic Park.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Two early tallies by the St. Mary's Gaels in the first 15 minutes proved to be the difference on Sunday, as they outlasted a late surge by the Fordham Rams, 2-1, at St. Mary's Stadium in Moraga, California.
 
The Gaels took advantage of a fortunate bounce just 39 seconds into the game.  A clearing attempt deflected off the referee, allowing the Gaels to gain possession.  Valerie Laforge then sent a long ball toward the box, which Vanessa Gaitan chipped just over the reach of Fordham goalkeeper Colleen Hickey for a 1-0 lead.
 
Gaitan then made it 2-0 in the 14^th minute, as she finished off a cross from Jaylen Crim to the top left corner of the goal.
 
In the second half, the Gaels almost made it a 3-0 game, as Jackie Dutton fired a shot to the top right corner, but Fordham's Kelly LaMorte came across the goal to punch away the shot, keeping it a two-goal deficit.

 
The score remained that way deep into the second half, when Fordham put together a late surge in the final minutes to pull within one.  In the 86^th minute, Lane Cronin fought off a defender near the endline, laying off a pass to Morgan Busacca.  Busacca put in an immediate cross into the box, which Crea Baker-Durante headed just over the reach of St. Mary's goalkeeper Sarah Sawatsky for her first collegiate goal.
 
Fordham continued to press the attack in the final minutes, trying to get the equalizer, but the Rams ran out of time, giving the Gaels the 2-1 win.
 
In goal, Hickey made two saves in the first half for Fordham, while LaMorte had one in the second half.   Sawatsky had three stops for St. Mary's.

SEASON OPENERS: With the team's season opening win over Nevada, Fordham continued its mixed bag of results in season openers, posting a 11-12-2 mark.  It was Fordham's first opening victory since a 2015 match over Wagner, 1-0.
 
PRESEASON POLL: 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. 
 
WHO'S NEXT: Following the Battle of the Bronx, Fordham will have their first two home contests of the season next week.  The Rams host Seton Hall at Jack Coffey Field on Thursday, August 31^st at 7:00 PM, while Holy Cross comes to town on Sunday, September 3^rd, for a 1:00 PM contest.