On Thursday, the Fordham University Rams rolled through Easton, Mass., to take on the Stonehill University Skyhawks.
Fordham came to Stonehill hungry after losing at Fairfield University the previous weekend. A familiar face started things off for the Rams in the 39th minute. The star freshman Liina Tervo whipped a cross into the box, which graduate student forward Abby Borchers pounced on for a deflected goal. Tervo got on the scoresheet three and a half minutes later when a through ball from senior midfielder Fernanda Serna found her feet; the Finnish forward cut left, slotting the ball past Stonehill’s keeper to give the Rams a 2-0 lead entering the half. It was déjà vu for Fordham’s third goal of the night. Tervo once again drove down the wing, crossing the ball to Borchers, who turned it towards goal for her second of the game. Freshman forward Julia Acosta gave Fordham a 4-0 lead in the 79th minute with a top-class free-kick finish that saw the ball nestled into the left side of the net. The match would end at 4-0, with freshman goalkeeper Addison Green picking up her third shutout of the season while recording three saves. Tervo’s two assists brought her season tally to five, which is eighth in the NCAA. Her assist-per-game tally also moved to one assist per match, good enough for third overall in the NCAA rankings.
Following their victory in Massachusetts, the Rams headed to New Haven, Conn., to take on Yale University.
The Ram’s matchup at the Ivy League school was less straightforward than the one in Easton; however, Fordham started like they had ended their match against Stonehill.
In the 12th minute, sophomore midfielder Ava Giudice found senior Ryann Lucas, who pushed the ball ahead to Abby Borchers for the finish, putting the Rams up 1-0. The Rams’ lead only lasted three minutes when senior Tanner Cahalan sent a volley into the back of the net, drawing Yale level. Giudice would again help Fordham take the lead in the 24th minute when she found Acosta, who dribbled past a defender before slotting the ball into the side netting. The Rams took their 2-1 lead into halftime, but the Bulldogs would fight back in the 61st minute. Calahan sent a pass across the face of the goal, which junior forward Ashley Kirschner finished for her first goal of the season. Both teams looked for the winner in the final half-hour of the game, but it was Fordham Ol’ Reliable Liina Tervo who maneuvered down the sideline before finding Acosta with a cross, who hit it first time from 10 yards for her second goal of the game. The match would finish as a 3-2 for Fordham, aided by Green’s six saves between the sticks. Fordham’s two wins on the week moved the team to a record of 5-1-1 on the season.
The Rams will travel to another Ivy League school on Thursday, slated to take on the Columbia University Lions at 7 p.m..
