Box Score Nov. 5, 2009
Box Score
Charlotte, N.C. -
Behind an offensive explosion of three goals on a season-high 27 shots, the third-seeded Fordham women's soccer team (9-11-1) opened the 2009 Atlantic 10 Championship with a 3-0 victory over sixth-seeded Massachusetts (6-12-2) at Transamerica Field in Charlotte, N.C. The win advances the Rams to the Atlantic 10 semifinals for the fourth straight year.
"I thought we played well," said Fordham head coach Ness Selmani. "We played them earlier this season, so we knew what to expect."
Fordham went immediately to work, registering the first nine shots of the game. The Rams eventually cracked the scoreboard on their 13th shot of the first half. Following a UMass foul, Fordham's Lauren Nowakowski put the ball into the box, and was deflected into the net by Annie Worden in the 31st minute for her sixth goal of the season.
Fordham continued to pepper shots on UMass goalkeeper Lauren Luckey, as they finished the half with a 16-2 shot advantage.
In the second half, Fordham made it a 2-0 game in the 57th minute against UMass' backup keeper Emily Cota. Michelle Ancelj took a shot from the far left side, outside the 18 into the upper right corner for her fourth goal of the season.
The Rams then sealed the victory in the 72nd minute with their third goal of the game. Mariella Romano crossed the ball to the right side, where Megan Cookson knocked home the goal into the left side of the net for her second tally of the season.
In all, Fordham out shot UMass, 27-7, in the contest. In goal, Fordham's Rachel Suther only made one stop on the night, while the Fordham defenders came up with a pair of defender saves, as the Rams recorded their ninth shutout of the season. For UMass, Luckey made six saves in 45 minutes of work, while Cota had seven saves in the final 45 minutes.
The Rams now advance to play second-seeded and host Charlotte on Friday, November 6th at 5:30 PM in the Atlantic 10 semifinals. The winner will move onto the championship game, which is on Sunday at 1:00 PM.
