Women’s Soccer Faces George Washington and Duquesne in A-10 Action This Week

Bronx, N.Y. - The Fordham women's soccer team continues Atlantic 10 Conference play this week with a pair of contests.  On Thursday, Fordham travels to our nation's capital to face George Washington at 4:00 PM on Jack Coffey Field, while on Sunday, it will be Cancer Awareness Day at Jack Coffey Field, when the Rams host Duquesne for a 1:00 PM showdown.
 
GAME COVERAGE:
Thursday – Fordham at George Washington – 4:00 PM – Live Video | Live Stats | Follow on Twitter @FordhamWSoccer
 
Sunday – Duquesne at Fordham – 1:00 PM – Live Video | Live Stats | Follow on Twitter @FordhamWSoccer
 
SERIES HISTORY: This will be the 17^th meeting between Fordham and George Washington, with the first meeting back in 1996.  The series is about as even as you get with each team earning six wins to go with four ties.  Last season, the Rams and Colonials played to a 0-0 draw.  The last win for Fordham in the series came in 2012, while George Washington's last win was in 2015.
 
On Sunday, it will be the 19^th all-time meeting for the Rams and Dukes, with Fordham holding a 9-6-3 record over Duquesne.  However, Duquesne has the most important win in the series, which came in 2015, when the Dukes defeated Fordham, 2-0, for the Atlantic 10 Championship and an NCAA tournament bid.
 
LAST TIME OUT: In the first meeting between the two teams since 2013, the Fordham Rams and the UMass Minutewomen gave the fans plenty to cheer about with a combined five goals in their Atlantic 10 women's soccer contest on Sunday afternoon.  In the end, it was Fordham coming away with a big 3-2 road victory at UMass' Rudd Field.
 
The Minutewomen opened the scoring in the 20^th minute, when Erin Doster netted her fourth goal of the season, coming off an assist from Sarah Beaulieu.
 
Fordham answered right back in the 22^nd minute, when Clara Gastaldi scored her first goal of the season.  Rachel Collage played a ball to the center of the box, defecting off Lane Cronin right to Gastaldi.  Gastaldi then lined up the shot from 18 yards and snuck it inside the right post.

The Rams then took advantage of a great ball into the box by Morgan Busacca in the 27^th minute, as Cronin headed in her first goal of the season, just inside the post, for a 2-1 lead for Fordham.
 
In the second half, Fordham extended the lead to 3-1 on a brilliant play by Amanda Miller.  On the left side of the field, Crea Baker-Durante sent Miller on a run.  Miller then put on the breaks to get away from a UMass defender and then picked the top right corner of the goal from 15 yards for her team-leading third marker of the season.

The Minutewomen did close back within one in the 88^th minute, as Sini Laaksonen converted on a penalty kick, but Fordham would hold off UMass over the final two minutes to finish off the 3-2 road win.  In net, Kelly LaMorte made three saves to earn the win for Fordham, while Cassidy Babin had one for UMass. 

FAST START: For the second time in three seasons, Fordham has begun Atlantic 10 action with a 2-0 start.  The last time the Rams did that, Fordham made it all the way to the Atlantic 10 Championship title match in 2015.
 
CANCER AWARENESS DAY: Fordham women's soccer will host its annual Cancer Awareness Day on Sunday, October 1st, when the Rams host Duquesne. 
 
The Rams will be raising funds for the Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care throughout the week leading up to the game taking donations, as well as offering raffles and silent auction items throughout the week in the lobby of McGinley Center.  The Fordham chapter of "Colleges vs. Cancer" is also partnering up with the women's soccer team for this event.
 
Some items to be raffled or up for auction are 2018 Yankee tickets, an autographed baseball by NY Met David Wright, tickets to the Katy Perry concert on October 5th, Red Bulls game tickets, Westchester Knicks tickets, a Fordham team autographed soccer ball, pink NFL cleats among other items.  For the raffle items, tickets are $1, 5 tickets for $4, and 10 tickets for $7.

To donate to the cause this week, stop by the team's table in the lobby of McGinley Center on Friday from 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM.  You can also donate here.
 
Anyone that donates on campus will have the opportunity to write the name of someone they "fight for" on colored Ram Head paper, which the team will hang up at Jack Coffey Field on gameday to recognize everyone battling cancer.
 
In addition to the raffles and auctions, the first 150 fans in attendance at the Fordham women's soccer game against Duquesne will receive a Cancer Awareness Day t-shirt. 

WHO'S NEXT: Following this week's action, the Rams will host St. Bonaventure on Thursday, October 5^th, at 7:00 PM on Jack Coffey Field, while traveling to play Richmond on Sunday, October 8^th, at 1:00 PM.