By Drew Casey
After opening the season with a program best 6-1-0 record, the women’s soccer team lost a pair of road games this past weekend. Entering the weekend on a six-game winning streak, the squad attempted to make more program history with a seventh consecutive win, which would have surpassed the 2008 team’s six-game streak.
The team was ready to go from the onset of its match against Providence College Friday. Junior Ivana Lahcanski opened the scoring with her second goal of the season and put Fordham on the board in the sixth minute. Sophomore Nicol Natale assisted Lahcanski, feeding her the ball from the right side of the field. However, the lead did not last long. Providence answered less than a minute later and added two more goals later in the first half. In the second half, neither team could find the back of the net. The Rams fell 3-1 to the Friars, but first year head coach Jessica Clinton still thought the team turned in a good effort.
“Despite the score, I thought that we played really well,” Clinton said. “It was a game that, when it came to possession and movement, we clicked.”
Less than 48 hours later, the team traveled to Stony Brook for a Sunday matinee match. The Rams once again opened the scoring early in the contest, netting a goal in the 11th minute. Senior Kate McDonnell then connected for her third goal of the season. Stony Brook battled back and eventually tied the score in the 60th minute and went on to take the lead in the 71st minute. However, Fordham did not go away. Senior Jessica Widmann tied the game in the 89th minute on a penalty kick, and overtime ensued. The Rams did not fare well in the extra period, as Stony Brook scored just 2:14 into overtime and took the match 3-2. The two losses this weekend mark the first time the Rams have lost back-to-back contests since last October.
“It’s a learning experience,” said Widmann. “We learned about how we can become better as a team and try to prevent breakdowns from happening in the future.”
The team is now 2-3-0 on the road, while they are a perfect 4-0-0 at home.
“Winning road games has been something that we have stressed the importance of since preseason,” said McDonnell. “It’s always difficult to play without a home field advantage. But, if we continue to stay organized and disciplined, and keep our work rate high, we will do well in the upcoming road games.”
Overall, the Rams are 6-3-0 and have one scheduled non-conference game remaining.
At exactly the halfway point of the season, the members of the team are pleased with where they are, but they know that there is plenty of room for growth.
“Overall, I think we are doing well,” said Clinton. “Playing–wise, we are where we want to be. Our leadership with this team is getting better every day and we are taking the right steps to get there. This is not a team looking for the easy way or interested in taking short cuts. They want to do it the right way and work hard for it. I’m proud of the work that they have done and I’m proud of where we are.”
The Rams will host Columbia at 3 p.m. on Sunday before opening up conference play on Oct. 3.
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Drew Casey is a Staff Writer for The Fordham Ram.