Bronx, N.Y. – Fordham's
Brooke Salmon scored in the 105
th minute on a rebound off a saved penalty kick, to give the Rams a 2-1 double overtime victory over the Rhode Island Rams on Thursday night at Jack Coffey Field to open Atlantic 10 play.
With the win, Fordham improved to 4-3-3 overall, 1-0 in the Atlantic 10, while Rhode Island fell to 3-6-0 on the year, 0-1 in the league.
Fordham almost opened the scoring right away in the second minute, as a ball ricocheted off a URI defender to
Amanda Miller at the top of the six-yard box. Miller put a shot to the right side, but it was punched away by Rhode Island goalkeeper Julia Freeman.
Fordham would however still get the first goal of the game, picking up a 1-0 lead in the 34
th minute. The play started on the right side of the box, where
Lane Cronin crossed the ball to the center of the box.
Morgan Busacca (right) celebrates her first career goal.
Crea Baker-Durante laid the ball back to the top of the box to Clara Gastadi, who found
Morgan Busacca just to her left, above the half circle. Busacca took a chip shot from 25 yards out, netting her first career goal just under the crossbar and out of the reach of Freeman.
The 1-0 lead held until the 58
th minute, when Rhode Island knotted the game at one. Taylor Ross took the initial shot in front of the goal, which hit the crossbar. Kelly Mayo then headed in the rebound for her first goal of the season.
The score stayed tied all the way into the second overtime session, where Gastaldi cut across the middle of the box and was taken down by URI's Jaileen Goncalves for a foul, awarding a potential game-winning penalty kick to Fordham.
Brooke Salmon stepped to the penalty kick spot and shot left. It was initially stopped by URI backup goalkeeper Haley Brennan, but the rebound came right back to Salmon, who drilled her second chance into the heart of the net for the game-winning goal. It was her second marker of the season.
In net, Fordham's
Kelly LaMorte had three saves in the win, while Freeman and Brennan combined for three saves for Rhode Island.
The Fordham women's soccer team continues Atlantic 10 play on Sunday, September 24
th, when the Rams travel to UMass for a 1:00 PM contest.
