The seven-time defending Patriot League Champion American University field hockey team will open conference play this weekend, going on the road to face Lehigh on Saturday, October 2 at 11:00 a.m. The No. 14 Eagles will then travel to Princeton and take on the No. 4 Tigers at 1:00 p.m. the following day.

American (7-2) moved up one spot in the national rankings this week after defeating Temple and St. Joseph's by a combined score of 9-2 last weekend. Six different Eagles scored on the weekend and 10 notched at least one point. Christine Fingerhuth's two goal performance earned her Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week honors, while Gina Hofmann's five points and solid defensive effort gave her the Defensive Player of the Week award.

The Eagles have utilized a balanced attack this season as 12 of the 18 field players have tallied at least one goal. Freshman Shelly Montgomery leads the team with five goals on the year, while Fingerhuth and Lotte van de Mierop have each recorded four. Hofmann currently holds team-highs in both assists (7) and total points (13), and ranks 12th in the NCAA in assists per game (0.78). Senior Hannah Weitzman minds the cage for American and has allowed only eight goals in over 600 minutes of play. Her 0.91 gaa currently ranks fifth among all Division-I goalkeepers. 

American is riding a six-match winning streak and is off to its best start since 2007. As a team, the Eagles currently rank 12th in the NCAA with 3.11 goals per game and a 1.89 scoring margin. Their winning percentage of .778 is 10th in the nation while their team average of 3.11 assists per game ranks fifth. American also ranks 11th  in goals against average (1.22).

Lehigh (2-8) has lost eight of its last nine after a tough 3-2 defeat against La Salle on Saturday. The Mountain Hawks are led by juniors Caitlin Donnelly and Madison Ingal, who have each recorded a team-high five goals on the season. Sophomore Kimberly Eng has notched three goals and three assists this year while also leading the team in shots on goal with 17. In the cage for Lehigh is Jessica Miller, who sports a 3.38 gaa and .727 save percentage.

Since 2003, the Eagles are a perfect 10-0 against the Mountain Hawks. Over that span, they have notched four shutouts and beat Lehigh by a cumulative score of 61-10. Live video and stats will be available during the match by clicking here.

Princeton (7-0) is coming off a 4-2 win over No. 1 Maryland on Tuesday. The Tigers are led by junior Kathleen Sharkey, who leads both the team and the NCAA with 17 goals and 38 points on the season. Nine other Tigers have recorded multiple points on the season. Princeton goalkeeper Christina Maida is one of the nation's best, boasting a .67 gaa and .810 save percentage.

The Eagles are 2-3 against Princeton in the past decade. Their last win came in 2007, when Denise Infante '07 scored the game-winning goal with 39 seconds remaining for the 3-2 victory. Live video and stats will be available during the match by clicking here.