NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The Iona College women’s soccer team fell to neighborhood rival Fordham Wednesday evening, 2-0. A quick score in the opening moments by the undefeated Rams put the Maroon & Gold in an early hole they could not climb out of.
The Rams scored promptly on a penalty kick in the seventh minute. Senior defender Nicole Bates stepped up to the dot and slid a low shot past junior Tiffany Martinez for the first score of the game, and her first of the season.
Fordham nearly struck again in the 11th minute of its first corner kick chance. Martinez had to collapse on a loose ball, once against shot by Bates, just moments before it crossed the goal line to keep the deficit at one.
With 16:40 remaining in the first half, freshman Margaret Roughley put the Gaels down two with her second of the season. The rookie midfielder took teammate’s junior Natalie Sim’s shot that ricocheted off the post and one-timed her attempt to the lower left side of Martinez.
Iona’s sophomore Mariana Jaramillo, juniors Marisa Bentley and Charlotte Stuart, along with senior Emily Hansen, each registered a shot in the first half. The Maroon & Gold’s best chance came off a quick corner from Jaramillo to Hansen in the 34th minute. Hansen got her foot on the cross but it deflected just over the cross bar.
The Gaels were outshot 12-4 in the first half.
The opening minutes of the second half were controlled by Fordham, but the Iona defense was able to deflect away any scoring chances, including a pair of corner kicks.
Sophomore Brianna Hernandez was able to Iona’s first shot on goal in the 69th minute. Sophomore Marissa Dundas also tacked on a shot in the second half.
Iona was unable to get offensive pressure in the latter moments of the second half. Following Hernandez’s attempt on net, Fordham had four shots on goal and three corner kick chances.
Martinez made eight saves in net for Iona while facing 19 total shots.
The Maroon & Gold return to the pitch on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 2:00 PM. The Gaels will be match up against the Bucknell Bison at Mazzella Field.
