EASTON, Mass. (September 5, 2024) – The Stonehill College women's soccer team was shut out, 4-0, by Fordham University Thursday night on campus at WB Mason Stadium. With the loss, the Skyhawks fell to 1-5 overall on the young campaign, while the Rams improved to 4-1-1 on the season.

Highlights

• The Skyhawks set season-high marks with nine shot attempts and three corner kicks throughout the non-conference contest.  
• Sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Bello tallied seven saves in goal for the Skyhawks. Bello now ranks atop the Northeast Conference leaderboards with 37 saves on the season.
• Junior Rebecca Lancaster and the sophomore duo of Annie Renz and Kira Pomrinke each registered a shot on goal for Stonehill.
• Graduate student Abby Borchers and first-year student Liina Tervo paved the way offensively for the Rams, recording four and five points on the night, respectively.
• Borchers netted a pair of goals, one serving as the game-winner, while Tervo dished out two assists and found the back of the net for a goal of her own.
• First-year student Julia Acosta scored her first collegiate goal for Fordham.
• First-year goalkeeper Addison Green tallied three saves in net for the Rams and posted her second clean sheet of the season.

How it Happened
Stonehill and Fordham came out of the gates strong, opening the first half trading scoring opportunities. First-year student Erin Foley started the game in the fourth minute of action, rifling a shot from a sharp angle just off the net, narrowly opening the scoring.

Following the Foley chance for the Skyhawks, Fordham would go on the attack, outshooting Stonehill 6-2 over the next 15 minutes of play until Stonehill had a grade-A scoring chance go wide of the net in a scoreless battle. Rushing up the field on the far side in the 21st minute, junior Hannah Anselmo spun past a defender and sent a perfectly placed cross into the goalie's box where first-year student Martha Lord awaited the reception. However, Lord's shot would redirect high and wide over the crossbar and out-of-play, resulting in the game remaining scoreless midway through the first half.

Moments later, at the 22:49 mark, after a pass up field from graduate student Emmy Dumaresq, Renz would look to go on the attack, dribbling inside the 18-yard box and sending a shot on goal, forcing Green to step up and make her first save of the night to keep the game knotted at zero.

After back-and-forth play over the next 15 minutes of action, Fordham would open the scoring at the 38:36 mark when an original save made by Bello was rebounded in front and sent into the back of the net off the body of Borchers. Four minutes later, the Rams would extend their lead to 2-0 when Tervo received a through ball from senior Fernanda Serna and placed a shot into the left corner of the net for her fourth goal of the season.

Stonehill would look to cut into its two-goal deficit early after the halftime break. Lancaster redirected a free kick taken by first-year student Meghan Dowd on goal in the 48th minute; however, Green would be in the proper position for the Rams to halt the Skyhawk's bid for the back of the net.

Despite the early chance in the second half, Fordham would extend its lead to three at the 66:56 mark when Borchers scored her second goal off an assist from Tervo, marking her second of the game and fifth point of the night. Acosta capped off the scoring in the 79th minute, netting her first collegiate goal and sealing the 4-0 victory for Fordham.  

Up Next
Stonehill (1-5-0, 0-0-0 NEC) returns to action on Sunday, traveling to Orono, Maine, to take on the University of Maine Black Bears. Kickoff from Mahaney Diamond between the Skyhawks and Black Bears is set for 1 p.m.

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