Box Score WASHINGTON – The American University men's soccer team's offense came alive on Senior Day, defeating Colgate, 3-2. With the win, the Eagles clinched the No. 3 seed in the Patriot League Tournament and will host Army on Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. in a quarterfinal match.
American struck first against Colgate to take a 1-0 advantage into the half, but the Raiders came out strong out of the break, scoring twice to take the lead in the 54th minute.
With home field in the Patriot League Tournament on the line, junior Liam Robley then came up big for the Eagles. The first-year transfer from Cumbria, England put a well-placed cross in the box for sophomore Dale Ludwig, who headed it in for the equalizer in the 60th minute.
With less than 14 minutes to play, Robley did it again, taking advantage of a penalty kick opportunity, going left for his fifth goal of the season and third point of the afternoon.
"We were resilient today," said head coach Todd West. "We gave up some soft goals, which I told our guys is something we cannot do in the playoffs. But we came back to overcome them, which is important. I'm happy to get a win for our seniors today."
Seven Eagles were honored prior to the match and thanks to their play on the pitch, will get another home game at Reeves Field.
Sophomore goalkeeper Lucas Belanger, who made only his second career start and third appearance, made three saves to register his first-ever win.
Classmate Jake Garcia got the scoring started in the 42nd minute, hitting home a loose ball in the box for his third score of the season.
The Eagles outshot Colgate, 24-11, and held the Raiders to only five attempts on goal.
It was a physical match that saw 21 fouls, 13 by Colgate and five yellow cards.
The Patriot League Tournament begins Tuesday at Reeves Field with quarterfinals against Army at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast free and in HD on the Patriot League Network.
The Patriot League semifinals and championship game will be hosted by Boston University on Friday and Sunday, Nov. 14 and 16. The Winner of the AU-Army match will face second-seeded Navy on Friday.
