Nov. 13, 2004
WASHINGTON - Patriot League Rookie of the Year Maggie Hall's (Annville, Pa./Palmyra) goal in the 19th minute to give the Eagles' a 2-1 win over Iowa on Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
AU struck first with 15:39 left in the first half when freshman Maggie Hall gathered a pass from junior Heather Maranzano (Williamsburg, Va./Jamestown) and lobbed a shot over Hawkeye goaltender Barb Weinberg and into the net. Iowa almost netted the equalizer in the fifth minute when AU goaltender Allison Fayfich (Wexford, Pa./N. Allegheny) came six yards out of the net to play the ball but Iowa passed left to an open forward. Hawkeye Margot McMahon took the pass and ripped the shot just wide of the AU net. Both teams would have late chances to score in the closing minutes of the first half but neither team could tally a goal.
Iowa set the pace in the opening minutes of the second half applying pressure in AU's zone registering three shots in the first two minutes. The Hawkeyes' Lauren Stiver knotted the game at 1-1 in the 53rd minute when she controlled an errant rebound and buried it in the AU goal. Hall gave American its first NCAA Tournament win in school history when she corralled a rebound and hammered it in the Iowa net.
Fayfich nabbed two saves to put the Eagles at 19-2 on the season. Iowa held a 13-10 advantage in shots during the contest with both teams registering four penalty corners each.
"This is a huge win for our program,"said head coach Steve Jennings. "I thought we played a complete game today. We need to focus on Maryland now, they are going to be coming into tomorrow's game looking for revenge. We have the confidence we need to win, we just need to execute."
The Eagles will go on to play host University of Maryland tomorrow, Sunday, Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. Maryland dropped Delaware 5-2 earlier today with Paula Infante setting a NCAA record with all five Terrapin goals. AU toppled Maryland for the first time in history earlier this season by a score of 3-1.
