WHO: #8 Women's Soccer vs. #5 Fordham
WHERE: Alumni Soccer Stadium – Davidson, N.C.
FINAL SCORE: Fordham 1, Mason 1 – Fordham advances on PKs 4-2
RECORDS: Mason (9-9-2), Fordham (13-6-2)
KEY PLAYERS: Sarah Hardison – 1 goal; Kirsten Glad – 5 saves

BOX SCORE (PDF)       BOX SCORE (HTML)


DAVIDSON, N.C. – Sarah Hardison scored her 10^th goal of the season in the 38^th minute, putting #8 George Mason on top of #5 Fordham in the semifinal round of the Atlantic 10 Championships Friday evening. The Rams, however, tied the score early in the second half and advanced to their third championship game in the shootout.

MATCH NOTES
-Brianna Blunck attacked early for Fordham, forcing Kirsten Glad into her first save with just 45 seconds ticked off the clock to open the first half.
-Kelsey Young recorded Mason's first shot on goal in the 20^th minute.
-The Patriots opened scoring in the 38^th minute, breaking through on a set play. Kaila Williams took the corner kick for Mason as Sarah Hardison headed it over Fitzgerald's hands, finding the upper right register for a 1-0 Patriot advantage.
-Mason would hold a 1-0 lead at intermission.
-Glad came up with a pair of saves early in the second half before Fordham knotted the match at the 58:08 mark. Jessica Widmann netted her 12^th goal of the season, converting a shot to the near post off a deflection from a Mason defender, tying the score at 1-1.
-The Rams had a chance to take a 2-1 lead in the 73^rd minute after they were awarded a penalty kick. Widmann sailed the attempt high to the left, keeping the score knotted.
-At the end of regulation, both teams remained with one goal, forcing the first overtime where Mason saw a pair of solid scoring chances, but were unable to convert.
-Fitzgerald picked up a save in the second overtime to force a shootout.
-Sarah Hardison went first for the Patriots, finding the lower left corner, putting the Patriots up 1-0. Ally Doyle followed converting for the Rams, putting the score at 1-1. Fitzgerald dove to her right to stop Daniela Neves' attempt before Nicole Bates converted for Fordham, giving the Rams a 2-1 advantage. Fitzgerald came up with another stop on Emma Starr's attempt, punching it away to the right post before Brianna Blunck gave Fordham a 3-1 lead. Emily Littell followed, scoring for Mason, but the Rams sealed their advancement with Jessica Widmann's PK for a 4-2 advantage.
-Sarah Hardison finished the campaign with a team-best 22 points.
-Mason finished the 2015 campaign under first-year head coach Todd Bramble with a 9-9-2 record. The Patriots reached the A-10 semifinals for the first time in program history.

STAT BREAKDOWN
-Fordham outshot Mason 21-14, including a 14-5 second half effort.
-The Rams placed six shots on goal, while Mason recorded five.
-Mason held the slight advantage in corner kicks, 6-5.
-Sarah Hardison led Mason with five shots, converting one.
-Kirsten Glad came up with five big saves in the tie, including three in the second half.

POST MATCH QUOTES
-“First, I want to congratulate Fordham on advancing tonight in the tournament. We've played them twice in the last six days and they have a good team. They were two close games and I have a lot of respect for their coach and team.” – Head Coach Todd Bramble
-“I also want to thank Davidson for their hospitality in hosting this event.  They did a wonderful job and I want to congratulate them for their efforts and putting their best foot forward in this tournament.” – Head Coach Todd Bramble
-“Finally, I'm extremely proud of our team and how they played tonight. There were a lot of momentum swings in the game tonight and I'm very proud of how they stayed composed and played through. Right now they are heartbroken, but I want them to keep their heads up high for the job they've done all season and tonight. We are a young team and our future is very bright. I also want to thank our fans for their support all year long and I want to thank everyone who came to the tournament. We had a great fan base in Davidson and it meant a great deal to the team to have the support.” – Head Coach Todd Bramble