Fordham Women's Soccer Handed Double-OT Loss at Seton Hall

August 22, 2011

Lightning delays before and during the game. Heavy rain. 36 shots. Five goals. The opening women’s soccer game of the 2011 season between Fordham and Seton Hall had just about everything you could imagine. In the end, it was Seton Hall’s Taylor Wilson’s 35-yard blast to the upper right corner of goal that turned out to be the difference in a 3-2 double overtime game at Owen T. Carroll Field in South Orange, New Jersey.

Wilson’s game-winning goal put a disappointing finish on Fordham freshman Kristina Maksuti’s debut, as she netted both Fordham goals on seven shots and just missed a hat trick as a shot rang off the crossbar in the second half.

Maksuti opened the scoring just over five minutes in the game, as she headed in a perfect left side cross from Maria Lorena Canicatti from seven yards out for her first career goal and a 1-0 Fordham lead.

Seton Hall answered back in the 17^th minute, as Ashley Clarke sent out a long pass to Stephanie Soma down the left side of the field. Fordham goalkeeper Rachel Suther came out to challenge Soma, but Soma was able to sneak the ball just inside the right post to tie the game at one.

The game remained tied at one, despite two golden chances for the Rams near halftime. With about four minutes left in the first half, Mariella Romano let loose a shot from the top of the box, which Seton Hall goalkeeper Jennifer Pettigrew just got a hand on it to push the ball off the cross bar and out of play.

The Rams’ bad luck continued into the second half where Maksuti just missed giving Fordham back the lead, as she drilled the ball off the cross bar, just 3:27 into the period.

The Pirates then capitalized on their next scoring chance in the 52^nd minute, as Caitlyn Milazzo found herself wide open in front of the Fordham net, chipping Ashley Beamish’s pass over the outstretched arms of Suther for a 2-1 edge.

That lead didn’t last long however, just under three minutes to be precise, before Fordham knotted the game at two apiece. The Rams answered with a perfect give-and-go between Annie Worden and Maksuti with Maksuti burying her second goal of the game.

Despite chances galore for both squads, the game would head into overtime, where Fordham was again snake bitten by the crossbar. Over four minutes into the extra session, Worden got loose from a Seton Hall defender and drilled another shot off the pipe from the top of the box.

Suther then came up big with two crucial saves in overtime, keeping the game tied at two, denying both Beamish and Soma. Suther though could not stop Wilson’s blast at the 105:57 mark, giving Seton Hall the 3-2 double overtime decision.

Suther finished with five saves in the game for Fordham with Pettigrew also ending up with five saves on the evening.

The Fordham women’s soccer team will next be in action on Friday, August 26^th, when the Rams take on the St. John’s Red Storm at 7:00 PM in Queens.