Photo Gallery
After just two days of practice, the Fordham women's soccer team saw its first live action on Saturday, taking on the New York Magic in an exhibition game on Murphy Field.
The contest gave a number of Ram players their first action in some time, as Kelsey Dougherty Howard, Jessica Widmann, and Mary Solimine were all in the starting line-up after injuries plagued their 2012 season.
Widmann missed the entire 2012 campaign, with Dougherty Howard playing in just one game before going down with a season-ending injury. Solimine was also significantly affected by the injury bug, limiting her season to just seven games in 2012.
All three performed well in Saturday's exhibition, as Dougherty Howard netted a pair of early goals with Solimine knocking one in during the second half off a Bryce DeBolt cross. Widmann manned the sweeper position for a good portion of the exhibition, limiting the Magic to very few scoring chances.
"For having limited practice time so far, Mary, Jess, and Kelsey did very well. Kelsey scored twice. Mary scored once, and Jess kept the backline clean. I think it was a fantastic day for them," said head coach Ness Selmani following the day's action.
The exhibition contest on Saturday also gave the Fordham fans in attendance a look at a number of the Rams' newcomers. Seven freshmen took part in the exhibition with Nicol Natale, Nicole Bates, and Turner Block in the starting line-up. Natale and Block both played up front, as Fordham looks to replace Annie Worden's scoring prowess due to graduation, while Bates started on the backline. DeBolt and Ally Doyle each found the scoresheet with an assist off the bench, while Sydney White and Megan Fitzgerald also saw action.
"Surprisingly the freshmen played very well today," said Selmani. "There was no energy letdown when they entered the game which is very good to see."
Fitzgerald played the second half in goal, while Ally White got the start in the first half, as neither allowed a goal.
The second exhibition game for the women's soccer team will take place on Tuesday, August 13th, when Fordham hosts Hofstra at 7:00 PM on Jack Coffey Field.
