WASHINGTON – Freshman Charllene Boshoff's first career goal late in the fourth quarter delivered the fourth consecutive win for the American University field hockey team (7-4, 3-0 PL) as the Eagles remain undefeated in the Patriot League with a 3-2 victory over Holy Cross (5-6, 2-2 PL).
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Three Eagles contributed to scoresheet with junior Noor Coenen, sophomore Aidan Rossman and Boshoff picking up a goal each. Juniors Lauren Fredricks and Gaby de Kock, and sophomore Georgia Davies each pitched in an assist.
• As has been the case for much of the season, the Eagles controlled the tempo of the game from the first whistle, pressuring the Holy Cross defense early on and earning back-to-back penalty corner opportunities within the first five minutes.
• AU capitalized off the second set piece, as senior Noor Coenen fired in a shot into the lower left corner of the cage after a stop from Fredricks and insertion from de Kock.
• The Eagles put up three more stops over the next 10 minutes but couldn't add to the advantage and entered the break with the 1-0 lead.
• Holy Cross knotted the score at 1-1 within the first couple minutes of the second quarter as Caitlin Little deflected in a shot from Emily Devine after the Crusaders' first of two penalty corner opportunities in the game.
• The Crusaders' Megan Mulherin knocked in a loose ball in the circle five minutes later to give Holy Cross its only lead of the game at 2-1.
• Rossman responded in kind with at the 23:44 mark, putting up a high shot off a rebound after a shot from Coenen was saved by Holy Cross keeper Marcia LaPlante. LaPlante nearly stopped the shot from Rossman as well but fumbled the ball and was unable to recover as the Eagles tied the game back at 2-2.
• American continued to dominate play in the third quarter, picking up three penalty corner opportunities and four shots, but some clutch stops by LaPlante kept the Eagles at bay as the two teams remained locked at 2-2 heading into the fourth quarter.
• AU picked up the game-winner five minutes into the final quarter off the team's 11th penalty corner opportunity. This time, it was Davies who inserted the ball directly to Boshoff, who fired off the shot just inside the near post. 
• The Eagles outpaced Holy Cross in nearly every category, earning 12 penalty corners and 21 shots. The Crusaders closed with only two penalty corners and three shots.
• Freshman goalkeeper Fiona Minter earned one shot on the afternoon while LaPlante picked up 11. 

NEXT UP
The Eagles will return to Jacobs on Sunday for a noon start against nonconference foe VCU. The game will also serve as the team's Breast Cancer Awareness game and fans are encouraged to join in and wear pink.
 
American will continue Patriot League play the next two weekends with road trips to defending PL champion Boston University on Saturday, Oct. 19, and Colgate on Saturday, Oct. 26. AU will close its season at home with a 3 p.m. start against local rival Maryland on Tuesday, Oct. 29, followed by Lafayette at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2.
 
The Eagles will celebrate its two graduating seniors, Caroline Miller and Jette Dieckmann, on Nov. 2 before facing the Leopards.
 
For the latest on American University Field Hockey, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_FieldHockey) and Instagram (@aufieldhockey).