WASHINGTON - With a berth into the Patriot League Tournament on the line, the No. 22 American University field hockey team (8-3, 4-0 PL) made quite the statement with a 6-0 shutout against Holy Cross (5-8, 1-4 PL) at Jacobs Complex on Saturday.

NOTEWORTHY

• Five Eagles contributed to the final score sheet, including three seniors on the eve of their Senior Day celebration. Graduate student Gaby de Kock, who was honored during last year's Senior Day alongside classmate Noor Coenen, led the team with two goals.
• Seniors Aidan Rossman, Maura Phelan and Georgia Davies added one goal each while sophomore Imogen Hatton got in on the fun with a goal of her own to start the second quarter.
• Davies also added an assist while fellow-senior Hannah Moser pitched in two. Coenen and juniors Charllene Boshoff, Merel Dupont, and Megan Hoffman sent in one assist each.
• American dominated offensively in the first half, posting 10 shots to only one from Holy Cross. By the end of the game, the Crusaders had found their footing but still trailed in shots, 12-7, and corners, 7-6.
• Sophomore goalkeeper Bryn Underwood had a quiet first half in the cage. Senior Dani Acuna relieved her at halftime and picked up three saves while junior transfer Abbie Ortyl made her AU debut in the fourth quarter and made one stop in the final 15 minutes.
• This is the second consecutive shutout and fourth of the season for the Eagles after they also held Lehigh scoreless last weekend, 2-0. Out of the Patriot League, only Bucknell has managed to get on the board against AU after the team opened league play with a 1-0 overtime win against Lafayette.
• With this win, the Eagles secured their spot in the Patriot League Tournament and is one victory away from the Patriot League regular season title and the right to host the tournament in November.
• This is the most decisive win since the 7-1 final against Colgate during the 2019 season. The Eagles also dominated in a 7-0 shutout earlier that season against Towson.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• American put the Crusaders on their heels from the opening whistle, drawing a penalty corner on the first offensive drive. Although the initial shot from Coenen was blocked, the Eagles were back on the line immediately and made the second look count. Davies collected the ball at the top of the circle off a pass from sophomore Emily Horace and sent it toward goal where it found the stick of Aidan Rossman for the redirect past the Holy Cross goalkeeper.
• American was back on the board less than three minutes later with de Kock putting away her first of the day after a pass from Moser found her waiting just off the shoulder of the Crusaders' goalkeeper.
• American continued to push over the next five minutes but couldn't quite get another clean look at the cage until the ninth minute with another penalty corner opportunity. Defender Maura Phelan, with only one goal in her career heading into the match, fired in a blazing shot through a Holy Cross defender and the keeper to deliver AU a 3-0 lead. Hoffman and Dupont were credited with the assists for the insertion and stop, respectively.   
• American added its fourth with less than a minute remaining in the stanza with Davies getting the board off a pass from Boshoff after a shot from Coenen was deflected by the Holy Cross goalkeeper. This is the first time the Eagles have ever scored four goals in a single quarter since the NCAA made the switch from halves before the 2019 season.
• Hatton got the scoring going early in the second quarter, collecting a pass from Coenen in front of goal after a long run in from midfield. 
• The Eagles closed out scoring late in the half with the second from de Kock who once again found herself on the receiving end of a pass from Moser after AU's seventh penalty corner of the day.
• Holy Cross came out of the break with renewed energy, picking up six shots while holding AU to only two, but were unable to find the back of the cage.
• This is only the second time since at least 2003 that the Eagles held a 6-0 lead at halftime, the first being back in 2004 during an 8-2 win over Lafayette. It is also second only to a pair of seven-goal performances in the second half during the 2011 and 2018 seasons. The latter of these came during a 9-1 showing against Lehigh to deliver head coach Steve Jennings his 250th career victory.

UP NEXT
American will make the quick return tomorrow for its home finale against Cornell at 1 p.m. This will also serve as the team's Senior Day celebration as the Eagles honor the seven incredible players in the class of 2022. AU will then hit the road to close out the regular season with trips to Boston University on Saturday, Oct. 23, and Colgate on Saturday, Oct. 30. The Patriot League Tournament will begin with the semifinal round on Thursday, Nov. 4, followed by the Championship at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6.




For the latest on American University Field Hockey, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_FieldHockey) and Instagram (@aufieldhockey).