Behind another defensive effort and a second half goal by Kristina Maksuti, the Fordham women’s soccer team topped theTempleOwls, 1-0, for the team’s first conference win of the season at Jack Coffey Field on Sunday.

 

With the win, Fordham improves to 6-4-2 overall, 1-0-1 in the Atlantic 10, whileTemplefalls to 3-8-0 on the year, 0-2 in the league.

 

After a scoreless first half, Templehad an early scoring opportunity in the 48^th minute on Fordham goalkeeper Rachel Suther.  A long pass byTemple’s Amanda Ward was picked up by Casey Greco, who went in one-on-one with Suther on the right side.  Suther came out to challenge and was able to swallow up Greco’s shot to keep the game scoreless.

 

Fordham then notched what was the lone goal of the game in the 58^th minute.  Jessica Widmann carried the ball down the left side and put in a cross to Kristina Maksuti in the box.  From eight yards out, Maksuti turned and fired toward the right post.  The ball hit the inside of the post and just trickled over the line for Maksuti’s eighth goal of the season.

 

The Rams would hold onto that one-goal lead, as Suther came up with two more stops in the half, while the Fordham defensive group of Casey Nowakowski, Kaitlyn Carballeira, Mary Solimine, and Widmann held the Owls to a total of four shots in the game, all in the second half.  For Suther, it was her third shutout of the season and 11^th of her career, and the third straight clean sheet for the Rams.

 

The Fordham women’s soccer team will next be in action on Friday, October 7^th, when the Rams hostXavierUniversity, beginning at 7:00 PM