Box Score WASHINGTON - On a truly special day for the American University Soccer program, the No. 23 Eagles sent its fan base, alumni and Kuykendall family home happy, netting a 3-2 double-overtime win over Holy Cross. Senior center back Christian Robbs sealed the win with a flying kick off a deflection in the 109th minute.
In a back-and-forth affair that saw five goals, five yellow cards and 46 total shots, it was AU who came away with the win.
Holy Cross was able to tie it up in the 79th minute as an AU penalty set up a free kick score for the Crusaders. The game looked to be headed for 2-2 OT draw, but as Holy Cross looked to head a pass away from the Eagles Robbs made perhaps the goal of the season.
The second-year transfer from Florida Gulf Coast tracked down the pass, let it bounce once and then leapt in the air, hitting a flying strike that the Holy Cross goalkeeper had no chance at.
"I never thought I would score a goal like that," said the Athens-born Robbs. "I was able to get a header earlier this season, but that was something else. It's not something we practice but was more like the things we used to do playing 5-on-5 back in Greece."
The highlight reel goal will be the talk of the match, but AU also got two other impressive scores.
After Holy Cross struck first 15 minutes in, sophomore Jake Garcia found himself in the right place in the right time in the 37th, blasting home a shot that ricocheted to him after a blast by classmate Panos Nakhid.
The 1-1 draw continued until the 73rd when a Holy Cross handball in the box set up a penalty kick for junior Liam Robley.
Despite American outshooting Holy Cross 34-12 and registering 14 corner kicks to the Crusaders' two, HC was able to find the equalizer with 11 minutes left in regulation.
"It was two soft goals that really put us in a hole today," said head coach Todd West. "We attacked well throughout the match so I felt if we kept up our style we would break through… but I did not expect a kick like that from Christian. He made a superb play for that goal."
It was a truly special day with the 10-year reunion of the 2004 Patriot League Championship team and many more alumni on hand.
The Eagles also wore commemorative jerseys with "Kuykendall" across the back of each one in honor of Shawn Kuykendall '05, who passed only eight months ago. Shawn and his family was also honored in special halftime presentation that did not leave many of his former teammates with a dry eye.
American will look took keep its momentum rolling next week with two road Patriot League games. The Eagles play a midweek game at Navy before heading to Bucknell this Saturday.
