Harrisonburg, Va. -- In their first game of the 2001 season, the American University women's soccer team came up short to James Madison, despite a strong second half rally that included a corner kick for a goal by senior Diane Wootton.

The Eagles had several scoring opportunities, including on another Wootton attempt late in the second half. After playing one-on-one against JMU's senior goalkeeper, Suzanne Wilson, Wootton's shot sailed just wide of the goal. Another AU senior, Ashley Flanigan, had a chance to score with only 1:12 left to play, but her shot on the open net hit the right post.

The Dukes took a 1-0 lead 7:03 into the contest when red-shirt junior Teri Joyce fed the ball to sophomore Abby Karpinski, who hit a solid three-yard shot into the far post. The second goal came when Joyce again made her presence felt in front of the net, blasting a rebounded shot by red-shirt sophomore Marisa Lemme back into the goal at the 11:32 mark.

Looking to rebound after the close loss to the Dukes, the Eagles will return to their home turf at Reeves Field to face Mount St. Mary's in the home opener on Wed. Sept. 5. The game is scheduled to start at 4:00 PM.