Bronx, N.Y. – (October 13, 2021) – The Fordham Rams begin the stretch run on their Atlantic 10 women's soccer schedule this week with a pair of league matches against VCU and Massachusetts.
Fordham (3-9-2, 1-4-1 A10) has four conference matches remaining with this week featuring two of the top five teams in the league standings.
The Rams will first travel to VCU on Thursday night. VCU (10-2-0, 6-0-0 A10) leads the Atlantic 10 with an undefeated record in league play, winning its last six matches. Last week, VCU knocked off Massachusetts, 2-1 in overtime, as well as Dayton by a 3-1 count. Samantha Jerabek is the team's top scorer with four goals and five assists for 13 points, while in net, Grace Young has started all 12 games in goal, posting a 0.90 goals against average and four shutouts.
Massachusetts (7-4-3, 3-2-1 A10) comes to Jack Coffey Field on Sunday for Senior Day after playing Richmond on Thursday. The Minutewomen are in a tie for fifth place in the Atlantic 10 standings after losses to VCU and Saint Louis last week. Chandler Pedolsky is the leading scorer for UMass with four goals and four assists, while in net, Megan Olszewski has seen the majority of the action, posting a 0.69 goals against average and two shutouts.
GAME COVERAGE:
Thursday – Fordham at VCU – 7:00 PM - Live Video (ESPN+) - https://www.espn.com/espnplus/player/player/_/id/3ce46c8c-dd21-4c4a-beb4-00c472d1e767 | Live Stats - http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=357033
Sunday – Massachusetts at Fordham – 1:00 PM – Live Video (ESPN+) - https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/2129bf55-4702-4646-a5fc-d801b30c1a8d | Live Stats - https://fordhamsports.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary
SOCIAL MEDIA: Make sure to follow the Fordham Rams all season long on their social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram - @FordhamWoSoc
SERIES HISTORY: On Thursday, it will be the eighth meeting between Fordham and VCU since VCU joined the Atlantic 10 in 2012. VCU holds a 4-3 edge in the series, but it is Fordham that has won each of the last three contests, which included a 3-2 overtime win in 2019 at VCU.
Kristen Cocozza netted the game-winning marker just 1:43 into the extra period as she had a goal and an assist in the game.
For Sunday, it will be the 24
th all-time meeting for the Rams and Minutewomen with UMass holding a 16-6-1 mark against Fordham. The Minutewomen are 3-0-1 in the last four meetings, which included two wins this past spring. Fordham's last win was a 3-2 decision in Amherst in 2017.
LAST TIME OUT: Saint Joseph's Ashley Orendac and Leia Khairy each scored a goal on Sunday afternoon, leading the Hawks to a 2-0 decision over the Fordham Rams at Jack Coffey Field.
Milan Bornstein
The Hawks scored the opening goal of the match in the 24
th minute. Erica Behr launched a long ball forward from the defensive end to Rachel Brown, who chested the ball down and lofted a pass to Ashley Orendac. Orendac then scored on a chip shot over the goalkeeper from 14 yards out for her third of the season.
Saint Joseph's made it 2-0 in the 73rd minute. Leia Khairy made a long run, dribbling into the center of the offensive zone and lofted a shot from 25 yards that went over Fordham goalkeeper
Serena Mensah and just under the bar for her first of the season.
CLOSIN' IN: Fordham fifth-year senior
Milan Bornstein has already put together a career-best season, netting a career-high three goals and six points, but could be a more memorable one in the upcoming games. With her start against Saint Joseph's last Sunday, Bornstein has appeared in 80 career games, which has now tied Brooke Salmon's record of 80 games played from 2015-18.
KENNEDY STREAKIN': Junior forward
Caitlin Kennedy has had a superb 2021 and is among the Atlantic 10 leaders in goals (5) and points (11), both of which are already career-highs. She has already been named Offensive Player of the Week twice by the league, had a four-game goal scoring streak, and had a six-match points streak snapped against La Salle.
WHO'S NEXT: Following Sunday's contest, the Rams enter the final weekend of the regular season, when they play at Dayton on Thursday, October 21
st, while hosting George Mason on Sunday, October 24
th.
