This past week, the Rams faced off against Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and the University of Massachusetts Amherst at the home field. The first game back in over a month, the Rams are looking forward to a hopefully smoothly running rest of the season. Both losses, these games have been much anticipated after a string of cancellations and postponements of competitions. 

In their first game back, the Rams faced a seasoned St. Joe’s team. This team had played games with only a few cancellations, putting them ahead of the Rams in this regard. 

The Rams fought hard with the player of the game, freshmen midfielder Alexandra Taylor, making a strong effort to get the ball in the net after two unanswered shots by the Hawks. In an attempt to even out the score, Taylor shot the ball toward the head of senior defender Emma Johnson. However, their efforts were unsuccessful and Fordham walked away with a loss.

After finally getting back on the field after so long, the Rams knew that they would be playing catch-up with some of the competition that they would face. In response to this loss, head coach Jessica Clinton said, “We had moments where we lapsed, which was understandable given our time off and our opponents ability to get games in. We [the players and staff] were disappointed with the outcome, but given the circumstances and looking at the big picture, I am extremely happy with our style of play, our mental focus and grit.”

The game against UMass was a scheduled senior day, and the seniors were celebrated for their accomplishments while being a part of the team. Senior midfielder Maura Holst started the game off strong, scoring a goal in the first half of the game. Holst’s first goal of the season was achieved and senior day looked to be a good one. Holst was able to continue the streak of having a senior score on senior day that has been going on since 2015.

However, the game took a turn when the Rams were met with the same competitive spirit by the UMass Minutewomen. The Minutewomen were able to score, and by the end of regulation the game was tied. 

During overtime, the Minutewomen were again able to score and secured the win against the Rams. Even so, the Rams were happy to celebrate one of two senior days, honoring the seniors who fought hard through the rough and unpredictable season. With seven Rams slated to leave the team, the team has about five more games to look forward to. 

When asked how they will face the next few games, Clinton said, “As players and competitors, we always want to win, but my conversations with the team are solely focused on what we need to do in order to be successful or put ourselves in a position to be successful. Success does not always equate to a win. It’s a fine balance. There is no promise of wins, but there is a promise that we will get better.”