Bronx, N.Y. – (February 10, 2021) – Through outstanding dedication and hard work in the most unique of the years, the Fordham women's soccer team was back on Jack Coffey Field on Wednesday for their season opener against Sacred Heart.
The match ended in a 0-0 draw, marking the Rams' first shutout of an opponent in a season opener since 2017.
"It was really great to see the team compete today and felt that we got better from the first whistle to the last," said head coach
Jessica Clinton. "At first go, we had to work through a lot of excitement and nerves but as the game went on, we really started to see our style of play come out. When we finished the game, although a tie, we felt good about the product."
Despite having not played a game in 464 days, the Rams appeared in mid-season form, locking down the Pioneers and holding them without a shot in the first half.
Offensively, Fordham's best chance came in the second minute off a
Marissa Stanco shot that was grabbed by Elyssa Kipperman.
In the second half, Sacred Heart was able to get a couple of shots toward the Fordham goal, but goalkeeper
Maggie Grossman was up to the task, recording one save on five shots.
At the other end, Kipperman had two saves against Rams in the second half, thwarting Stanco on an early chance and
Milan Bornstein later in the period.
The match went into overtime, where each keeper made one more save to complete the scoreless draw.
For Fordham, Grossman played 65 minutes, making two saves, while
Maria O'Sullivan played the entire first half. Kipperman had four saves for the Pioneers, as the Rams had a 10-6 shot edge.
"Now, it's been over 400 days since we last played an opponent, so we have a lot of work to do to prepare for our next game against FDU but for right now, we get to focus on our rest and recovery so that we can attack our next session," said Clinton.
The Rams are next in action on Wednesday, February 17
th against Fairleigh Dickinson at Jack Coffey Field. Game time is slated for 3:00 PM.
Gallery: (2-10-2021) Women's Soccer vs. Sacred Heart
