WASHINGTON – Senior Jess Davis registered a pair of goals to lead the American University field hockey team to a 4-3 non-conference win over Temple on Sunday afternoon.

The Eagles improved to 7-3 on the season with the win, while the Owls fell to 3-7 overall.

American struck early, as Davis put the Eagles on the board just a minute and a half into the game off a pass from junior Natalie Konerth. Freshman Rafaela Rubas added to AU's lead with a tally at the 26:02 mark.

The Eagles held on to their 2-0 advantage until the end of the first half, when Temple scored on a penalty corner with no time remaining in the period.

American added two more goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half to extend its lead to 4-1. First, Davis tipped in a long pass from junior Natalie Marsh with 30:28 on the clock. Five minutes later, Marsh set up senior Katie Lonsky, who maneuvered past Temple goalkeeper Haley Mitchell for the score.

The Eagles' advantage remained at three goals until the 16:42 mark, when Temple converted a penalty stroke to get back on the board. The Owls added another score with just over two minutes remaining, but American was able to hold on for its second straight 4-3 victory.

American had a 16-12 shot advantage for the game and a 12-7 edge on penalty corners.

"Any time you get a lead in a game, you know you're going to take your opponent's best punch," said American head coach Steve Jennings. "To Temple's credit, they came really hard at the end and we were fortunate enough to do the details right and hang on for the win.

"We've been doing a great job of getting a lot of dangerous chances. We've created a lot of opportunities to be able to score and that's put a lot of pressure on opposing teams. In the end, it's worn them down or given us enough of a cushion where we could be resilient if they were able to get some goals back."

The Eagles are back on the road next weekend, Oct. 3, as they visit defending Patriot League Tournament champion Boston University.