Nov. 5, 2009
Atlantic 10 Women's Soccer Championship Central | Fordham Game Notes | UMass vs. Fordham GameTracker
Charlotte, N.C. -
The Fordham women's soccer team enters the 2009 Atlantic 10 Championship as the #3 seed for the second straight season and will play #6 Massachusetts on Thursday. The winner will then move on to meet either Dayton or Charlotte in the semifinals on Friday.
This is Fordham's sixth appearance in the Atlantic 10 Tournament with the Rams reaching the Atlantic 10 Championship game twice (2006, 2007). The Rams also made the Atlantic 10 Championship in 1996, 2003, and 2008.
In their previous appearances, Fordham is 4-5 overall. In 1996, Fordham lost their semi-final match-up with Dayton by a 4-3 score, while falling in the semifinals to Richmond, 1-0, in 2003.
In 2006, Fordham defeated La Salle (3-2) and Charlotte (2-1) to reach its first Atlantic 10 Championship game, but fell to Saint Louis, 2-1. The following year, Fordham advanced past Dayton on penalty kicks to its second Championship game, but again fell short, this time to Charlotte, 3-2.
In last year's championship, Fordham topped Duquesne, 1-0, in the opening round, but fell to Dayton, 2-1, in the semifinals.
THE GAMES: The Championship commences on Thursday, November 5th with No. 3 Fordham versus No. 6 Massachusetts at 5:30 p.m., followed by No. 5 Saint Louis facing No. 4 St. Bonaventure at 8:00 p.m. The semifinal matches, scheduled for Friday, November 6th, second-seeded Charlotte playing the highest remaining seed at 5:30 p.m., and Dayton, the No. 1 seed, playing the lowest remaining seed at 8:00 p.m. The A-10 Championship match is set for Sunday, November 8th at 1:00 p.m.
THE OPPONENTS: Among the teams that made the Atlantic 10 Championship tournament, Fordham posted a 2-2 record against those teams, as they defeated Massachusetts (3-2) and St. Bonaventure (2-0) and lost to Charlotte (4-0) and Dayton (2-0). Fordham did not face Saint Louis during the regular season.
PREVIOUS MEETING - FORDHAM 3, UMASS 2 (OT): Fordham's Leah Loguidice scored in the 98th minute of overtime to give the Rams a 3-2 win at Massachusetts, back on October 11th. It was the first ever win for Fordham at Massachusetts.
The early portion of the game belonged to Fordham's Michelle Ancelj, as she scored twice in just over four minutes of action to give the Rams a 2-0 lead. The goals were her second and third of the season.
At the 17:09 mark, Annie Worden fed Ancelj in the box and Ancelj poked the ball past UMass netminder Emily Cota from close range.
Ancelj struck again for the Rams just 4:29 later, extending the advantage to 2-0. Katie McDermott sent a pass over to Ancelj, who bent a shot from the right, inside the far post.
With time winding down in the opening half, the Minutewomen got on the board with just under two minutes remaining. Therese Smith corralled a throw-in from Jenna Goodwin, dribbled through the defense and fired a shot past
Rachel Suther to cut the Fordham lead to 2-1.
In the 76th minute, Massachusetts tied the game at two, as Smith sent a pass forward to Sydney Stoll. Stoll's initial shot in a one-on-one with Suther was stopped by the goalkeeper, but Stoll collected her own rebound and scored the equalizer at 75:37.
The match stayed tied at two into the overtime session, where in the 98th minute, Leah Loguidice intercepted a pass by a Minutewoman defender and scored on Cota from point blank range for her fourth goal of the season.
Fordham finished with a 19-14 shot advantage and led in corner kicks, 5-3. Suther totaled six saves for the Rams, while Cota had two for UMass.
MOVING UP: Three Fordham seniors found their way up the Rams' record book this season.
Senior Courtney Fedge has played in 75 games at Rose Hill, tying her for fifth all-time, while starting 67, which is tied for seventh at Fordham.
Senior Lauren Bustos heads into the Atlantic 10 Championship with 65 starts to her credit, which is tied for tenth at Fordham.
Senior goalkeeper Jen Byer moved into second place on the career shutouts list with 11 earlier this season, while remaining the Rams' career leader in goals against average at 1.03.
SCORING WHEN IT COUNTS: Senior Leah Loguidice has stepped in nicely as the Rams' top scoring forward this season, but her biggest impact is when she scores. She has four game-winning goals this season, which is tied for third in the Atlantic 10.
FRESHMEN FIRSTS: Fordham freshman Rachel Suther became the first Ram freshman to record a shutout in her first career start against Army in the third game of the season.
Fellow freshman keeper Sarah Zieman later bettered that mark, as she posted three consecutive shutouts in her first three career starts. She was also rewarded with an Atlantic 10 Co-Rookie of the Week award on October 19th.
BALANCED ATTACK: Despite getting 11 goals from the combination on Leah Loguidice and Annie Worden, the Fordham Rams have plenty of scoring depth in 2009. So far, seven players other than Loguidice and Worden have scored a goal this season, while 12 of the 18 field players on the team have at least one point.
