WASHINGTON – On a water-soaked afternoon, the American University field hockey team earned a 1-0 victory over Yale Saturday at Jacobs Field.

The Eagles, winners of four straight, improved to 4-1 overall, while the Bulldogs fell to 1-2 on the season.

With the teams battling wet conditions, the game remained scoreless until the 13:10 mark in the second half. Freshman Rafaela Rubas dribbled the ball in from the left side, pushing it past Yale goalkeeper Emilie Katz to give AU a 1-0 advantage.

The game was suspended with less than seven minutes remaining when lightning was spotted in the area. The contest resumed after a 30-minute break in the action, but neither team was able to create any solid scoring opportunities, enabling the Eagles to hold on for win.

American outshot Yale, 16-6, for the game and had six penalty corners, compared to three for the Bulldogs. Katz finished with eight saves for Yale, while AU goalie Kate McBeath stopped a pair of shots.

"I think each week we've made some strong improvements on our performance," said American head coach Steve Jennings. "We've just concentrated on a couple areas. I think today we played really well in tough situations. It's been a definite growth and progression for us.

"The conditions made it tough to score more today. I think it's just one of those games that you have to grind out. I was really pleased that we limited Yale to only six shots. I think that's a good sign that we're going in the right direction defensively. If we can keep going with 16 shots or more, I'm confident that the goals will come."

The Eagles are back in action tomorrow, when they visit local rival Maryland, ranked eighth nationally, in a 3 p.m. contest.