A two-goal performance by sophomore Melissa Casale helped propel the American University field hockey team to a 5-1 win over visiting Colgate Saturday afternoon at Jacobs Field. The Eagles defense weathered seven Raider penalty corners to preserve the win as junior goalkeeper Hannah Weitzman picked up her first career victory.

American (6-5, 2-0) dominated play in the first half by controlling the possession and tempo of the game. The earliest sign of this came less than 30 seconds in as Anne van Erp played a long pass to Casale who made a run up the right sideline and drove the ball into the circle. Casale opted not to take a shot but instead passed to Jenn Bradley, who did fire, but her shot went just wide of the cage. Just over one minute later the Eagles connected on an almost identical play for their first goal. It was van Erp again playing a long pass to Casale for a run into the circle. This time, however, Casale did take the shot and put it past the Colgate (1-12, 0-2) goalkeeper to the right corner from point blank range.

Rachel Carney moved American's lead to 2-0 in the 15^th minute as the Eagles completed their only successful penalty corner of the afternoon. On the play, van Erp inserted the corner to Kirstin Gebhart at the top of the circle where she left the ball for a shot taken by Anne-Meike de Wiljes. The senior's blast was deflected by Carney in front of the goal and into the cage for her second score of the season.

Despite the Eagles strong play on the offensive end of the field, Colgate was able to earn three corners in the first half on the tail end of long runs. Colgate was rewarded with its only goal of the game as a result of one of those corners, albeit a broken corner, cutting the American lead in half, 2-1, in the 16^th minute. Laura Denenga scored the goal for the Raiders as she received a short pass from Katelyn Nerbonne at the left side of the cage and beat Weitzman to the far post. Weitzman would later come up with a diving save on Colgate's final corner of the half, helping to preserve American's one goal advantage.

The Eagles tacked on a third goal before halftime as Christine Fingerhuth registered her team-leading sixth tally of the season. The play was set up by Gebhart who sent a centering pass into the circle from the right side. Fingerhuth received the pass and made a spin move to gain position on her defender before sending a reverse stick shot to the top of the cage for the score.

The opening 20 minutes of the second half turned into a foot race as both teams tried to outrun the other up and down the field. It was the Eagles who finally prevailed though, scoring their fourth goal in the 59^th minute. Carly Boyce began the play with an excellent pass up the middle of the field to Sarah Millman approximately 20 yards outside of the circle. Millman then drove the ball through the Colgate defense and into the center of the circle where she fired a reverse stick shot which was blocked. Millman, however, stayed with the play and picked up the rebound and took a second shot which evaded Colgate goalkeeper Kirsten Lalli nearside. The score was the first of Millman's career.

American earned its final 5-1 margin with Casale's second score of the afternoon in the 64^th minute. Following a broken AU corner, Carney came away from a scramble at the left post with the ball and fed it back to Casale. Casale then put a shot to the far post for her fifth goal of the year.

"We are pleased that we were able to put together periods of solid offensive pressure throughout the game which resulted in quality goals," Head Coach Steve Jennings commented. "We have to give credit to their goalkeeper though who made some fantastic saves and made us earn every finish.  It is great to move to 2-0 in league play and we hope to sustain the momentum tomorrow against a very tough Princeton squad."

The Eagles outshot the Raiders 24-7 for the game and put 13 of those shots on goal. Fingerhuth led the team with five shots, four of which went on goal, while de Wiljes and van Erp each totaled four. Weitzman finished her day with two saves in the cage against four shots on goal and Tatum Dyer recorded her first defensive save of the year to negate a Colgate scoring opportunity in the 68^th minute. American also held an 8-7 advantage in penalty corners.

American will return to Jacobs Field tomorrow, Sunday, October 11^th, as it takes on #4 Princeton at 2 p.m. The game can be seen live on the new Eagles Vision TV channel, featuring multiple camera angles, a live scoreboard and analysis from a studio broadcast team and sideline reporters. To sign up for Eagles Vision TV today, click here.