DAYTON — Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year Kyra Karfonta came through on both ends of the field for Dayton on Wednesday night, scoring the game-winning goal of top-seeded Dayton’s 1-0 win over Fordham in the Atlantic 10 Women’s Soccer Championship Semifinals at Baujan Field.
The Flyers (15-3-2) advanced to the championship final with the victory, where they will face Rhode Island. As the No. 1 seed, Dayton will host the Rams at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 9, with the A-10’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line.
Dayton’s lone goal of the match came in the game’s first 10 minutes. The Flyers drew a penalty kick, which Karfonta netted confidently to put the home team ahead 1-0.
Dayton nearly added to its lead at multiple points in the first half, but Fordham goalkeeper Kyla King made several strong saves to dismiss the scoring opportunities.
The Flyers’ defense remained steady. A-10 Goalkeeper of the Year Batoul Reda picked up her nation-leading 14th shutout of the season, only needing to two saves on Wednesday.
Dayton forward Laney Smith led the Flyers with four shots. The Flyers kept the Rams off the board by dominating possession, allowing just one shot on goal in the second half.
The Flyers advanced to the Atlantic 10 women’s soccer championship final for the first time since 2022.