It was a rainy, wet night at Jack Coffey Field on Thursday for the Atlantic 10 women’s soccer opener for Fordham as they took on Rhode Island.  In those conditions, it took just one moment of brilliance from Jessica Widmann to give Fordham the 1-0 victory and post their first opening conference win since 2013.

The win also moves Fordham to 7-3-0 for the first time since 2006, while Rhode Island fell to 3-6-1 on the year.

After a scoreless first half, Fordham just missed scoring in the 51^st minute, as off a quick touch play by Carlie Wagner, Brooke Salmon glanced a shot off the crossbar from 15 yards out.

The game remained scoreless until the 83^rd minute, when Fordham finally broke through.  Brianna Blunck started the play in front of the Fordham bench, crossing the ball into the middle of the field.  The ball snuck by a Rhode Island defender trying to clear and three-hopped to Wagner on the right side. Wagner got the ball to Jessica Widmann at the top of the box, who one-touched around a URI defender and scored inside the left post for her team-high eighth goal of the season.

Rhode Island had one chance over the final seven minutes to try and tie the game.  After a Fordham foul in the 89^th minute, Amanda Nardella got a header toward the Fordham goal, which Megan Fitzgerald was able to handle on one hop and finish out her fourth shutout of the season.

Fitzgerald totaled two saves in the shutout, while Rhode Island’s Katie Nickles had five saves to her credit.

The Fordham women’s soccer team continues Atlantic 10 play this weekend in Philadelphia on Sunday, October 4^th, as the Rams play the Saint Joseph’s Hawks at 1:00 PM.

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