Nov. 15, 2008

Box Score

WINSTON-SALMEM, N.C. - The No. 18 American University field hockey team fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to No. 2 Wake Forest by a 7-1 score at Kentner Stadium in Winston-Salmem, N.C. on Saturday. The loss ends the Eagles' 2008 campaign with an overall record of 13-8.

Wake Forest struck first 1:01 into the game when the Eagles got called for a foul in the circle setting up a Demon Deacons penalty corner. Melissa Martin inserted the corner, which was received by Raisa Schiller. Schiller dished the ball to Hilary Moore, who beat American goalkeeper Alyssa Poorman for the early 1-0 lead. Penalty corners would stand as the difference in the contest, as the Demon Deacs scored five of their seven goals off of the insert.

The Eagles got their offense rolling shortly after, setting up their first corner of the contest at 4:08. Anne van Erp inserted the ball to Anne-Meike De Wiljes but Irene Shickhardt's shot went just wide right. AU stole the ball from Wake on the inbounds and Kirstin Gebhart's shot was saved by Deacs goalie Crystal Duffield. Christine Fingerhuth collected the rebound but also missed the cage just to the right.

American continued to penetrate the Wake circle and earned its second penalty corner with 27:35 left in the first. Once again van Erp and de Wiljes set up a Schickhardt shot that went just right. American finally got the break it needed with 21:33 remaining when Savannah Graybill put tested Duffield. Duffield could not cover the shot and Fingerhuth got fouled on her shot attempt to earn a penalty stroke that de Wiljes buried to knot the score at one apiece.

Wake Forest took the restart back into AU territory and got a corner that Poorman saved but resulted in another attempt. De Wiljes held on the left post and cleared the ball of danger for the Eagles. Penalty corners continued to be the Deacons main offensive threat as they connected on their next two attempts to take a 3-1 lead with just over 12 minutes left in the first on a goals by Kim Romansky and Minou Gimbrere.

Michelle Kasold gave Wake Forest a 4-1 lead at the 30 minute mark, which would hold up as the halftime score.

Liz Fries opened scoring 6:36 into the second half for the Demon Deacons off another penalty corner to make the score 5-1 and added another goal off a corner in the 46th minute from Moore to lead 6-1. Kaitlin Piosa scored the final goal of the contest for Wake off of a breakaway for the 7-1 final.

Wake Forest held an 18-7 advantage and a 9-3 margin in penalty corners. Poorman finished with eight saves in the game for the Eagles, while Duffield made two stops for the Deacs.

American will graduate four seniors from this year's team, who were part of four Patriot League Championship teams and three NCAA Tournaments.