Game 1  ·  American (0-0, 0-0 PL) vs. Bucknell (0-1, 0-1 PL)
Sunday, March 14  ·  2 p.m.  ·  Washington, D.C. (Jacobs Complex)
All-Time Record: American leads, 26-7
Broadcast Talent: Jeremy Huber (pxp)

WASHINGTON - The American University field hockey team will kick off its long-awaited defense of its 2019 Patriot League title on Sunday with a 2 p.m. home opener against Bucknell.

PLEASE FOLLOW US ONLINE ONLY; NO FANS OR SPECTATORS PERMITTED ON CAMPUS

• Per Washington, D.C. and American University guidelines, and for the health and safety of our coaches, student-athletes and campus community, no spectators are permitted at athletics events in 2020-21.
• This policy is a stipulation of our approval to host athletic events from D.C. Department of Health and D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
• We do not anticipate a change in these guidelines this semester. Violators will be escorted from the site and jeopardize our ability to host athletic events for our student-athletes.
• All American University athletic events played on campus this spring will be streamed on ESPN+ (FAQ HERE) and can also be watched through the Patriot League's International Video Stream.
• Schedules and game updates can be found at www.AUeagles.com and our Twitter account @AUeagles.
• All scheduled events and start times are subject to change. 

SERIES HISTORY

• The Eagles have dominated the 33-game series against the Bison, 26-7, including nine of the last 11 meetings.
• The two teams first faced off on September 15, 1990, in Washington, D.C. AU claimed the 4-2 win to debut the series.
• American is coming off three consecutive wins against Bucknell, including a 3-1 final score in D.C. during the 2019 season.
• The last time AU lost to Bucknell was during an overtime thriller in Boston during the 2017 Patriot League Tournament semifinal. The Bison won in a shootout, 2-1, to advance into the championship game.

SCOUTING AMERICAN

• The Eagles were ranked first in the Patriot League Preseason Poll after returning nine starters from the 2019 squad that went undefeated in conference play en route to the program's 11th PL title.
• Among the highlights for the returners is 2021 Patriot League Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, Noor Coenen. A 2019 All-American and defending PL Offensive Player of the Year, Coenen enters her senior season already well on her way to one of the most storied careers in program history. She currently ranks sixth in program history for career goals (42) and ninth for career points (101). She also added her name to the single-season top-10 with 18 goals (fifth) and 44 points (seventh) as a junior.
• The senior midfielder was the top-ranked scorer in the Patriot League in 2019 with 18 goals and 44 points. She is also the top returner in assists after pitching in eight in 2019.
• Junior defender Georgia Davies also joined Coenen on the Preseason All-League Team. Davies was one of five All-Patriot League selections last year for the Eagles alongside Coenen, senior Lauren Fredricks, junior Atina Pagani, and then-senior Jette Dieckmann.
• Other returning starters from the 2019 squad include senior forward Gaby de Kock, junior midfielder Josie Formica, sophomore defender Charllene Boshoff, junior defender Maura Phelan, and junior forward Aidan Rossman.
• The Eagles also brought in an exciting freshman class this season with defender Emily Horace (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson), midfielder Imogen Hatton (Wysall, England/Repton School), midfielder Kendall Jung (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional), and goalkeeper Bryn Underwood (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson).
• Head Coach Steve Jennings is in his 22nd year at the helm of the AU field hockey program and owns an impressive record of 267-145 (.648).

SCOUTING THE BISON

• Bucknell opened its season on March 7 with a 2-1 loss to Colgate. 
• Kari Melberger scored the Bison's lone goal against the Raiders while Mackenzie Kile added an assist.
• Clara McCormick and Peyton Fischer split time in the cage with Fischer coming away with the day's only save.
• The Bison led Colgate with 15 shots and nine corners.
• Bucknell was predicted to finish fourth in the league and placed two players on the Preseason All-League team with senior midfielder Sarah Dimock and senior defender Kaelyn Long.
• The Bison closed 2019 ranked second in the league with 2.04 goals per game and led the rankings wiht 1.83 assists per game.

JOINING A NEW FAMILY

• The Patriot League signed a multi-year agreement with ESPN to make ESPN+ the new home for all conference events starting with the 2020-21 seasons.
• Fans can watch all of American's home events on ESPN+ with a subscription - either $5.99 a month or $59.99 per year. Fans can also subscribe to the service as part of the Disney Bundle for just $12.99 per month.

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