Bronx, N.Y. – (September 14, 2023) – The shirts that the Fordham women's soccer team wore during pregame warm-up in support of the American Heart Association had the perfect slogan for the night – Play With Heart. The Rams certainly showed plenty of heart on Thursday night, overcoming a two-goal deficit to defeat the George Mason Patriots, 4-2, at Moglia Stadium in the Atlantic 10 opener for both schools.
The wild affair began with George Mason being awarded a penalty kick in the 28th minute with a chance at scoring their first goal of the season. Ashley Shimberg, who drew the penalty took the kick but was denied by Fordham goalkeeper
Kyla King. The rebound came right back to Shimberg and she rang the rebound shot off the left post.
George Mason would not be denied that first tally of the year, as they would crack the scoreboard in the 33
rd minute. Off a turnover, Milan Pierre-Joseph blasted a long volley from 44 yards out that was just out of reach for Fordham goalkeeper
Kyla King and went into the upper right corner of goal.
Things were not looking good for Fordham in the second half, when the Patriots went up 2-0 in the 55
th minute on another shot from distance. This time, Jazmine Bennett centered a pass to Rachel Eberly, who scored from 29 yards out, getting the ball just under the crossbar.
Just over a minute later, Fordham got on the board to get back into the match.
Lena Johnsen played a corner kick into the box that was bodied away by a Patriots' defender.
Abby Doyle got the loose ball at the top of the box and put home her first goal of the season into the left side of the net and cut the deficit to one.
The Rams tied the game at two in the 68
th minute, as Johnsen got a throw-in from
Julia Holton, and called her shot, just under the crossbar for her second tally of the season.
The momentum had shifted in favor of the Rams, as did the lead in the 74
th minute. Johnsen sent a long ball forward to
Riley Carroll on the left side. Carroll fended off a defender and was able to flick a shot past the George Mason keeper for a 3-2 edge. It was Carroll's third goal of the season.
Fordham then got the all-important insurance goal in the 76
th minute, as
Sari Frankl played a ball deep in the George Mason end back to
Marie Degroote at the corner of the box. Degroote found the right side of the goal with the one-timer for her first collegiate goal.
This marked the first four-goal half by the Rams since netting four goals in the first half of a 2015 game at The Citadel. The span of the four goals – 20 minutes and 33 seconds – was also the fastest four goals for Fordham since 2001. In a 13-1 win over Saint Peter's, the Rams netted four of those goals in just eight minutes and 56 seconds.
With the win, Fordham improved to 14-10-5 all-time in Atlantic 10 openers. It also stopped a three-match winless streak for the Rams.
The Rams continue league play on Sunday, September 17
th, as they travel to George Washington for a 1:00 PM match.
Gallery: (9-14-2023) Womens Soccer vs. George Mason
