On Thursday, the Fordham University women’s soccer team headed to Amherst, Mass., to battle in the rain. Their third matchup in Atlantic 10 conference play got off to a rough start when Amherst senior midfielder Emma Pedolzky got on the end of an attempted clearance, poking it home to give the home side a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute. The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutewomen would double their lead just five minutes later thanks to a lovely finish from 15 yards out by senior Bella Recinos. It was 2-0 at the half, but UMass came out of the break eager to expand their lead. They got cooking in the 50th minute with a goal from senior Juliana Ryan. This goal was followed up shortly in the 53rd minute by fellow senior Ashley Lamond. Despite staring a 4-0 deficit in the face, the Rams did not go down without a fight. Fordham replied almost immediately to the final UMass goal, with sophomore Riley Carroll reacting quickly to intercept a clearance by the Minutewomen keeper before burying it to make it 4-1. The visiting Rams brought the game even closer in the 71st minute when senior Ryann Lucas and freshman Julia Acosta combined youth and experience for a one-two down the sideline before Lucas found freshman winger Liina Tervo with a cross. The Finnish forward buried it for her team-leading seventh goal of the season. Unfortunately for Fordham, the 4-2 scoreline would hold, leaving them with a bounce-back game at the University of Richmond on Sunday. 

Determined to get back on track in the A-10, Fordham took the lead early in Richmond, Va., and never looked back. The freshmen connection was in full swing in the eighth minute as Acosta drove into the box before slotting it across to Tervo, who tapped it in for her eighth goal of the season, good enough for second in the A-10. Fordham would hold their 1-0 lead for the rest of the match, aided by a 21-7 shot advantage alongside two saves from freshman goalkeeper Addison Green. This shutout is Green’s fourth of the season. Tervo’s pair of goals was also enough to see her awarded her second A-10 Rookie of the Week Award. The Rams now move to 7-3-2 on the season (2-2-1 in conference play) ahead of a significant October slate of matches. The Rams will return home this Thursday, Oct. 3, to host the visiting Duquesne University Dukes. The Dukes currently sit at 7-3 on the year (2-2 in conference play). Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Joe Moglia Stadium.