By Drew Casey
After beginning the Atlantic 10 season 0-1-1, the Fordham women’s soccer team dropped three consecutive road contests. The team fell to the La Salle Explorers 1-0, was beaten by the Saint Louis Billikens 2-0 and dropped its match with the Dayton Flyers 2-0.
“We can learn a lot [from these three matches],” head coach Jessica Clinton said. “We have tried some players in new positions, and for the most part it is working out. We will continue to build on our brand and prepare our players for the next three matches.”
On Saturday, Oct. 11, the squad traveled to Philadelphia to battle the conference leading Explorers.
La Salle dominated the game, but could not find the back of the net in the first half, despite outshooting Fordham 9-1.
The second half, however, was a different story. La Salle netted the first and only goal of the game in the 67th minute. Senior goalkeeper Ally White kept the Rams in the game throughout, making four saves.
Less than a week later, the Rams traveled for a match with the Saint Louis Billikens.
Both teams had chances to score early in the first half, but the scoreboard did not light up until the final seconds of the half. Off of a free kick, the Billikens managed to sneak the ball inside the left post past White.
Shortly after the halftime break, Saint Louis added to its lead with a goal from eight yards out. Senior forward Kate McDonnell and senior midfielder Jessica Widmann desperately attempted to get Fordham back in the game, but failed to score. Both fired off three shots.
Two days and more than 350 miles later, the team took on the Dayton Flyers. Dayton opened the scoring in the 13th minute after hitting the post in the 6th minute and took an early 1-0 lead. The Flyers kept on the gas and scored the second goal of the game just five minutes later in the 18th minute.
In the contest Dayton registered 31 shots, only six of which were on target, while Fordham attempted 12 shots, three of which were on the frame.
In the loss, White collided with a Dayton player and left the game in the 37th minute. Sophomore keeper Megan Fitzgerald entered the game and coach Clinton said that she played very well.
In all, the Rams traveled to three states and surpassed the 2,000 mile mark on the three-game road trip. The team is now 6-8-1 overall and 0-4-1 in the Atlantic 10.
With three games remaining, the squad is 14th in the conference. The top eight teams qualify for the postseason tournament, which begins Nov. 6 in Dayton, Ohio.
The team will likely need to win its final three matches to have any chance of making it.
The Rams’ next match is against the Saint Joseph’s Hawks on Friday night at 7 p.m. at Jack Coffey Field. The team will then close out its home regular season schedule on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. against the George Mason Patriots.
“I think we are hungry for a win; games just have not gone our way,” Clinton said. “Believing in each other is the next step.”