Box Score WASHINGTON, D.C. – Angela Virtu converted a rebound off her own penalty-corner shot to pull American within one goal late in the match, but No. 13 Princeton held on for a 2-1 field hockey victory over the Eagles on Sunday at Jacobs Field.
The loss dropped AU to 6-3 overall on the season. All three Eagles losses have come to nationally ranked opponents.
The Tigers won their second match of the weekend and improved to 5-3 overall.
Trailing 2-0, the Eagles earned a penalty corner with time running down. Virtu took the initial shot, and a save by Princeton goalkeeper Grace Baylis came back to Virtu, who scored with 6:25 to play. The tally was the first of the season for the Eagle junior.
The Eagles continued to mount pressure, but Princeton was able to hang on for the win.
American held possession through much of the second half, rolling up a 5-1 edge in shots and a 5-1 edge in penalty corners after halftime. AU finished with a 9-7 advantage in shots and an 8-2 margin in corners.
Tiger junior Ryan McCarthy had both goals in the first half, picking up her team-high sixth and seventh goals of the year.
She scored on a penalty stroke just 8:04 into the match for an early lead.
In the 19th minute, following an AU penalty corner, McCarthy got an outlet pass from Casey Swezey and sprinted down the right wing. She eventually had a one-on-one opportunity with AU goalkeeper
Maura Jacobs, and scored the goal inside the right post.
Baylis made five saves for Princeton, while Jacobs had two for American.
The Eagles travel to Bucknell on Saturday for their lone game next weekend. AU returns home on Thursday, Oct. 6 against Liberty.
