Women’s Soccer Set for Local Matches This Week

Bronx, N.Y. – (August 28, 2019) – After two road matches against top 25 caliber team last week, the Fordham women's soccer team's focus turns local in week two, as the Rams face off against Manhattan in the annual Battle of the Bronx on Thursday night with a Sunday matinee match at Hofstra.
 
Fordham's first opponent of the week is the Jaspers, who lost their first two matches of the 2019 season to Hartford and Stony Brook, both by scores of 2-1.  Then, the Pride will be up next, as they went 1-1 in the opening week of action, defeating Monmouth, while falling to #6 Penn State.
 
GAME COVERAGE:
Thursday - Fordham at Manhattan – 7:00 PM ET – Live Video | Live Stats
 
Sunday - Fordham at Hofstra – 1:00 PM ET – Live Video | Live Stats
 
SERIES HISTORY: Ever since the women's soccer program went varsity in 1993, the Battle of the Bronx match between Fordham and Manhattan has been on the schedule every year.  Fordham holds the all-time series lead with a 17-8-1 mark, winning each of the last five matches.  Last season, Fordham topped Manhattan, 2-0, at Jack Coffey Field on goals by Emma Johnson and Clara Gastaldi.   For game two of the week, it will be the 17^th all-time meeting between Fordham and Hofstra.  The Pride hold a 14-2-1 record against the Rams, which included a 3-1 decision at Jack Coffey Field last year.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA: For the latest updates and behind the scenes look at the Fordham women's soccer program, make sure to follow them on Twitter and Instagram at @FordhamWoSoc.

 
RECRUITING CLASS EARNS ACCOLADES FROM TOP DRAWER SOCCER: The Rams received recruiting class accolades from Top Drawer Soccer for the team's current crop of freshmen.  Overall, the recruiting class came in at #49, one of two Atlantic 10 teams to crack the top 50.  Additionally, freshman Danielle Etienne, who was rated No. 76 on their top 100 recruit list, was also a part of Top Drawer Soccer's list of "Impact Freshman to Watch", where the rest of the list comes from "Power 5" conferences or teams receiving votes for the Top 25.
 
Link to D1 Recruiting Class Rankings | Impact Freshmen for 2019
 
PRESEASON POLL: The Atlantic 10 Conference released its preseason predictions for the upcoming women's soccer season, as voted upon by the league's head coaches.
 
The defending Atlantic 10 champion, Saint Louis, was picked to finish first in the league, garnering 13 of the 14 first place votes.  The only other team to receive a first place vote was George Mason, who was slotted third, behind Saint Louis and VCU.
 
Saint Joseph's, Massachusetts, and Dayton ranked fourth through sixth, respectively, followed by Fordham in seventh and La Salle in eighth.  The top eight finishers in the conference qualify for the conference championship in early November.
 
After the top eight, George Washington was ninth, followed by Duquesne, Richmond, Davidson, St. Bonaventure, and Rhode Island.
 
The Atlantic 10 Championship will once again have quarterfinal match-ups at campus sites with the semifinals and final at Saint Louis' Hermann Stadium, November 8-10.
 
TOP NOTCH: The Rams have put together a challenging schedule for 2019, which features three games against teams from the "Power 5" conferences in Tennessee (SEC), Rutgers (BIG 10), and Syracuse (ACC).  This is first time since 2012 that Fordham has seen a non-conference slate like this, when the Rams faced Michigan (BIG 10), Michigan State (BIG 10), and Maryland (ACC).
 
WHO'S NEXT: Following Sunday's game, Fordham will prep its first two home matches, taking on Columbia on Thursday, September 5^th at 7:00 PM and Lehigh on Sunday, September 8^th at 1:00 PM.