Bronx, N.Y. – (August 18, 2021) – The 2021 women's soccer season begins this week, and the Fordham Rams are ready to hit the pitch twice in the opening stanza. On opening night, the Rams head to Hamilton, N.Y., for a match with Colgate of the Patriot League, while Sunday will see Fordham travel to Binghamton for an afternoon match with the Bearcats of the America East Conference.
Fordham enters 2021 after posting a 4-3-1 record in the abbreviated spring season, just missing the Atlantic 10 Championship tournament in the final game of the regular season. Head coach
Jessica Clinton returns 19 players as the Rams continue to be one of the top defensive and disciplined teams in the Atlantic 10, setting a single season record with a 0.70 team goals against average last spring.
For the Rams' opponents in week one, Colgate was picked third in the conference's preseason poll and are led by the Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, Ruby Diodati. The defender was a Second Team All-Patriot League selection in the spring and led the team with six points.
Game two of 2021 will see the Rams meet the Binghamton Bearcats, who were picked third in the America East preseason poll after reaching the conference championship match in the spring. The Bearcats return four All-Conference performers, led by First Team selection Olivia McKnight.
GAME COVERAGE:
Thursday – Fordham at Colgate – 4:00 PM –
Live Video (ESPN+) |
Live Stats
Sunday – Fordham at Binghamton – 1:00 PM –
Live Video (ESPN+) |
Live Stats
SOCIAL MEDIA: Make sure to follow the Fordham Rams all season long on their social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram - @FordhamWoSoc
SERIES HISTORY: This will be the third-ever meeting between Fordham and Colgate, with both coming in the Rams' first two years of varsity play in the Patriot League. Colgate won both of those matches in 1993 and 1994.
Sunday will be the first-ever meeting between the Rams and Bearcats.
SEASON OPENERS: In season opening matches, Fordham has had a mixed bag of results, posting an 11-14-3 mark. The Rams played to a scoreless draw last season against Sacred Heart.
TEAM CAPTAINS: The Rams have selected their team captains for the 2021 season, as
Hope Baisley,
Kendall Dandridge, &
Emma Johnson will wear the captain's armbands for the upcoming season. Baisley and Johnson served as co-captains for last year's squad, while this will be the first time for Dandridge.
Kendall Dandridge
Baisley and Johnson, who both start their fifth year with the team in 2021, were vital cogs of the Fordham defense, which posted four shutouts in eight games and set a school record with a 0.70 goals against average. Each received multiple postseason awards with both being named CoSIDA Academic All-District. Additionally, Baisley was named the team's Most Valuable Player at the Block F Awards, while Johnson was named the team's Most Valuable Defensive Player. Through four years, Baisley has appeared 44 games, making 35 starts, while Johnson has played in 45 games, starting 44.
Dandridge, who enters her fourth season at Rose Hill, shifted positions this past spring to an attacking wing, after being a two-year starting defender. She was rewarded by netting the first goal and points of her career, scoring the game-winning goal at La Salle, while adding a pair of assists. Dandridge was also awarded the Ignatian Social Justice/DEI Award as a part of the annual Block F Awards, recognizing those who went above and beyond in doing the difficult work of bringing diversity, equity, and inclusion issue to the forefront in the Athletic Department. As a Ram, Dandridge has started all 47 games over the last three seasons for the Rams.
FOREIGN IMPORTS: The Rams have spread their recruiting across the globe with five internationals on the team in 2021, representing the United Kingdom (
Emma Johnson), Ireland (
Maria O'Sullivan), Canada (
Claudia Cuicani), Israel (
Tal Faingezicht), and Sweden (
Ellen Schedin). Fordham also has international experience with
Danielle Etienne, who has seen time with the Haitian National Team.
WHO'S NEXT: The Rams are in action twice next week, traveling to Manhattan on Thursday, August 26 for the Battle of the Bronx, while opening their home schedule on Sunday, August 29, against Fairleigh Dickinson.
