Women's Soccer Continues A-10 Play With Two Home Matches

University of Massachusetts Women's Soccer Game Notes & Information
Game 11 & 12	Massachusetts (6-3-1) vs. Fordham (6-2-2) \| Massachusetts (6-3-1) vs. Rhode Island (4-3-2)
Date \| Time	Thursday, September 26 // 4 p.m. \| Sunday, September 29 // 1 p.m.
Location	Amherst, Mass. // Rudd Field
Watch	ESPN+ Fordham \| Rhode Island
Live Statistics	StatBroadcast Fordham \| Rhode Island
Twitter	@UMassWSoccer
Instagram	UMass Women's Soccer
Facebook	UMass Women's Soccer

AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts women's soccer continues Atlantic 10 Conference play on Thursday, September 26, when it hosts Fordham at Rudd Field at 4 p.m., before welcoming Rhode Island on Sunday, September 29, for a 1 p.m. contest. Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+.

Thursday's match against Fordham will be the Minutewomen's Mental Health Awareness match. Fans will be able to pick up a green ribbon at the marketing table to show support for The Hidden Opponent.

Last Time Out
UMass holds a 6-3-1 overall record after going 1-1-0 last week, falling to then-ranked No. 22 Saint Louis, 1-0, in the A-10 opener last Thursday and shutting out St. Bonaventure, 1-0, on the road on Sunday.

Against Saint Louis, the Billikens broke through in the 62nd minute to make it a 1-0 contest. UMass had a few chances in the final minutes but were unable to capitalize on opportunities.

Massachusetts's offense got off to a quick start at St. Bonaventure, scoring early to lead 1-0 at the 16:26 mark. On a corner kick, graduate student midfielder Ella Curry had a short pass in to senior midfielder Bella Recinos. Recinos then sent the ball into the six-yard box, before it was headed down into open space just outside the box by the Bonnies. Senior forward Ashley Lamond got a touch, kicking it towards the net, as fellow senior forward Chandler Pedolzky guided the ball behind her with her left foot to the goal and sending it past the St. Bonaventure goalkeeper in the lower corner.

In The Rankings
Massachusetts earned a spot on the United Soccer Coaches East Region Rankings for the fourth straight week, currently sitting in ninth. The team is behind Saint Louis, Xavier, Georgetown, Harvard, UConn, Butler, Creighton and Princeton, while ranking ahead of Loyola Chicago.

Mendoza is 11th in the NCAA rankings with six shutouts on the season, and is one of only three goalkeepers in the A-10 to sit within the top-30.

Record Book Tracking
Redshirt senior goalkeeper Bella Mendoza placed her name on the program's career saves list, ranking eighth after collecting her 238th save against UMass Lowell.

Mendoza earned her sixth shutout of the year against in the 1-0 win at St. Bonaventure, etching her name in the career records for the program. The San Ramon, California, native, is now tied for seventh with former Minutewoman Cassidy Babin (2104-17) with 17 career shutouts.

Additionally, graduate student midfielder Ella Curry put her name on the career games played list, tying for ninth with 80 games played. She is also two games away from tying for eighth with 75 games started.

A-10 Standings
The Minutewomen are currently tied for fourth in the A-10 standings with a 1-1-0 record in league play. UMass is tied with Duquesne and Dayton.

Saint Louis sits at the top with a 2-0-0 record, followed by Rhode Island with a 1-0-0 record. Fordham, Loyola Chicago and VCU sit above UMass, all with a 1-0-1 record.

Statistically Speaking
UMass is tied for sixth in points in the A-10 with 41, while ranking sixth in goals (14) and seventh in assists (13). Massachusetts is tied for first in shutouts with six on the season, alongside Saint Louis.

Recinos leads the team in points (10) and goals (four), while adding two assists on the season. She also leads the team in game-winning goals with two and is tied for second in the A-10 Conference.

Pedolzky leads the team in assists with three on the year, and follows close behind with nine total points, notching three goals. In the A-10, Pedolzky is tied for 10th in assists.

Mendoza tallied 900 minutes in net for the Minutewomen, averaging a .700 goals-against-average (GAA) and a .821 save percentage. She has also accumulated six shutouts on the year.

Mendoza has placed herself in the conference rankings, sitting third in goals-against-average with a .700. She is also tied for seventh in total saves with 32, while placing first in shutouts with six, averaging .600 shutouts per game.

Scouting Fordham
The Minutewomen lead 18-7-1 in the all-time series against the Rams. The first meeting for UMass and Fordham occurred on October 22, 1995, with the Minutewomne coming out on top, 7-0. The two teams met last season on the road with Massachusetts shutting out Fordham, 2-0, on the day.

Fordham holds a 6-2-2 overall record, including a 1-0-1 record in the league. The Rams defeated George Mason, 3-0, in their A-10 opener, and tied Loyola Chicago, 2-2.

Liina Tervo leads the Rams with 19 points with a team-leading six goals and seven assists. Julia Acosta and Abby Borchers follow behind with 11 points (five goals, one assist) and 10 points (four goals, two assists), respectively. Lena Johnsen scored two game-winning goals for Fordham, so far, this season. Acosta tallied a team-high 34 shots, with 22 on goal. Addison Green has spent the most time in net for the Rams, accumulating 720 minutes. Gregg holds a 6-0-2 record with three shutouts on the year, while recording a 1.00 GAA and a .750 save percentage.

Scouting Rhode Island
The Minutewomen lead the Rams, 23-9-3, in the all-time series. UMass and Rhode Island first met on September 10, 1988, at the Rhode Island Tournament in Kingston, Rhode Island. Massachusetts shut out the Rams, 2-0, on the day. The two teams last met on September 26, 2021, as the programs finished with a 1-1 draw in double overtime at Rudd.

Massachusetts and Rhode Island's meeting on Sunday will mark the first meeting in two seasons between the teams.

Rhode Island is 4-3-2 overall on the season, while sitting at 1-0-0 in A-10 competition. In the Rams conference opener, and only league game, so far, they shut out La Salle, 1-0, last Thursday.

Lauren MacDonald leads the team in points with nine, registering a team-best four goals and adding an assist. Sam Hagerty follows with five points, tallying a goal and team-leading three assists. Tierra Garniss has taken the most shots with 20, with MacDonald taking 16. Both Garniss and MacDonald have placed seven of their shots on target. Abby McCarthy has competed in net for the Rams in all nine games, totaling 810 minutes. She holds a 1.00 GAA and a .804 save percentage on the year with three shutouts.

Rhode Island will take on Duquesne on the road on Thursday, September 26, prior to Sunday's match.

Looking Ahead
Massachusetts will hit the road for two league games, beginning with a trip to Washington, D.C., on Thursday, October 3, to face George Washington at 3 p.m. The Minutewomen then head to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for a matchup with Saint Joseph's on Sunday, October 6, at 1 p.m. Both contests will be streamed on ESPN+.

Scoreboard

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Players Mentioned

Ella Curry

Ashley Lamond

Bella Mendoza

Chandler Pedolzky

Bella Recinos

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics