Bronx, N.Y. – (September 18, 2024) – Following a short off period between matches, the Fordham women's soccer team is back on the pitch to start Atlantic 10 play this week with two matches on the schedule. The Rams open at George Mason on Thursday night, while hosting Loyola Chicago for Alumni Day on Sunday.
Fordham enters league action with a 5-2-1 record following a loss at Columbia last Thursday. It is Fordham's best start through eight games since 2016 and has improved its scoring by averaging just under two goals per contest. The Rams have benefited from three new additions up front in graduate student
Abby Borchers and freshmen
Julia Acosta and
Liina Tervo. The trio has accounted for 13 goals and seven assists in non-league play.
Geoge Mason wrapped up non-conference action at 2-5-2, and have lost their last three matches against Old Dominion, Liberty, and Delaware by a combined score of 11-0. Offensively, the Patriots have recorded nine goals with Michi Hooks having a team-best two this year. In net, Selamawit Caldart has seen most of the action in net, playing close to 650 minutes and registering 41 saves.
Like Fordham, Loyola Chicago is also 5-2-1 entering Atlantic 10 play this week. The Ramblers will face the Dayton Flyers on Thursday for their conference opener. Loyola is coming off a 1-0 win over Eastern Michigan behind a goal by Taylor Harrison in the 31
st minute. Harrison is tied for the team lead with three goals alongside Emily Rossi. Allison Deardorff has played all 720 minutes this season in goal, racking up 31 saves and four shutouts.
SERIES HISTORY: The Rams and Patriots have met ten times previously with Fordham holding a 4-3-3 edge. The Rams have won the last four meetings, including a 4-2 decision last year at Moglia Stadium.
Abby Doyle,
Lena Johnsen,
Riley Carroll, and
Marie Degroote accounted for the four Ram goals, while
Kyla King had three saves in net.
Sunday's match will be the first match between Fordham and Loyola Chicago as conference adversaries. The two Jesuit institutions have met twice previously in 1998 and 2016 with each having a win to their credit.
LAST TIME OUT (9/12): Columbia's Ania Prussak had a goal and an assist, as the Lions topped the Fordham Rams, 2-0, at Commisso Soccer Stadium.
Columbia scored the opening goal in the 17
th minute, as Ania Prussak found Maia Tabion in the center of the box. Tabion then snuck a shot under Fordham goalkeeper
Kyla King's arm into the lower left part of the net for a 1-0 lead. Just eight minutes later, the Lions made it, 2-0, as this time Prussak found the back of the net with assists going to Marcia Ojo and Courtney Ruedt.
Fordham had a couple of chances to break through, the best of which was a shot by
Julia Acosta in the 74
th minute that hit the crossbar.
WHAT A START!: The Rams opened the season at 3-0 for just third time in team history, matching the 2004 and 2010 seasons. Through eight games, the Rams are 5-2-1, which is the team's best record through that span since 2016.
THAT WAS FAST: With Fordham scoring just 40 seconds into its first match of the season, that goal was the second fastest marker score in an opening contest this season. The only marker that was quicker came from South Carolina's Katie Shea Collins, who netted her first of three goals against Furman in only 34 seconds.
THAT WAS FAST (PART II): Freshman
Liina Tervo turned in a rare hat trick for the Fordham Rams against UAlbany on August 25
th, scoring three goals in just six minutes and 29 seconds. It was the second fastest hat trick in the NCAA this season with only Tarleton State's Lauren Grissom scoring one faster in five minutes and 10 seconds against Austin College on August 22
nd. Additionally, Tervo's hat trick was the fastest in Fordham history, bettering the six minutes and 49 seconds by Haley Lentsch in 2006 against Temple.
WHO'S NEXT: After this week's matches, Fordham is on the road twice the following week with matches at Massachusetts (Sept. 26) and Richmond (Sept 29).
