WASHINGTON – For the first time in 514 days, American University women's soccer will be back on Reeves Field and will face Army West Point on Saturday afternoon. The originally scheduled game against Loyola Maryland was postponed due to COVID protocols within the Greyhounds program.
 
QUICK INFO

• Date/Time: Saturday, March 20, 12:00 p.m.
• Site: Washington, D.C. (Reeves Field)
• Series History: Army leads, 6-5-10
• TV: ESPN+
• Talent: Marc Serber (pxp)

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. 

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Emily Smith scored on a penalty kick, but Army came out on top the last two times these teams met, 3-1.
• American is looking for its first win over Army since Oct. 11, 2009 (2-1). The two programs have played to six double-overtime draws over that span, but the Eagles are looking for that elusive victory.
• AU and Army found out they were playing each other on Thursday after both teams had games postponed due to COVID protocols. AU was slated to play Loyola, while Army was slated to face Navy. 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT AMERICAN

• Marsha Harper was hired in December 2019 and is looking for her first career win as a head coach.
• The Eagles fell in a defensive battle to open their 2021 spring season at Lehigh on March 6, 2021. The Mountain Hawks held on for a 1-0 victory.
• The Eagles had their game last week postponed due to COVID protocols within the entire Navy athletic department. AU is one of five teams in the league that have only managed one game through the first three weeks of the PL slate. American has been able to continue practicing and maintain their rhythm heading into this game versus Army.
• For the first time since Oct. 23, 2019, AU women's soccer will be hosting a home game on Reeves Field. That is a stretch of 514 days between home contests for the Eagles. AU went 2-5-2 at Reeves Field in 2019.
• Harper inherits a team that started 2019 strong with three wins in four games to start the season, but had a 1-4-4 record in PL play to miss the postseason.
• Despite only four freshman joining the program, 11 sophomores provide an exciting youth movement. In addition to a strong group of young players (15 underclassmen), the Eagles return a solid core of veterans with 11 upperclassmen. The team returns its three top goal-scorers from a year ago in sophomore Fisayo Iluyomade (4 goals), junior Emily Smith (3), and sophomore Alysa Vazquez (2), as well as its top goalkeeper in senior Ryleigh Brown.
• Coach Harper is excited about the depth that the midfield provides this season and believes that fans should appreciate the attack-minded offensive style.
• Asia Horne finished the 2019 season as Third Team All-Patriot League, helping to anchor a defense that held opponents to one or fewer goals in 10 games last year. 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT ARMY

• Army has played two PL games this spring, in addition to one game against the Coast Guard last October. The Black Knights enter the contest with a 3-0 mark.
• The Black Knights were picked to finish second in the PL preseason poll, led by senior goalkeeper Sydney Cassalia being picked as preseason defensive player of the year.
• Alysa Carfagno and Mia Padon joined Cassalia on the All-PL preseason team.
• Under the direction of fellow first-year head coach Tracy Chao, the Black Knights look to return to the PL championship where they fell to Navy, 2-1, in 2019. 

NEW ENERGY

• Head coach Marsha Harper officially began her coaching tenure on March 6, 2021. She brings a positive, contagious energy that can be felt in all facets of the program.
• Assistant coach Katie Greenberg returns to the DMV after growing up in nearby Sterling, Va., and echoes the energy brought by Harper.
• The two have emphasized "Championship Details" or CDs, things as small as clarifying that putting your toe on the line means your toe should actually be behind the line. 

THE STORY ON SCHEDULING

• A six-game Patriot League-only schedule is in place and set to begin in early March. The Eagles, like all fall sports in the Patriot League and in much of the nation, did not have competition in the fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• AU will compete in the Patriot League South Division along with Bucknell, Lehigh, Loyola Maryland, and Navy.
• Four teams will qualify for the PL Tournament, with each division winner hosting the second-place team within its division in the semifinal round. The remaining team with the highest regular-season point total will host the championship game.
• "While this has been a long time coming, everyone from our staff, team, and support staff have all put in a lot of work to get where we are," said head coach Marsha Harper. "We are so very thankful to have the opportunity to compete and are looking forward to showcasing what we have been working on." 

ACTIVE ACTIVISTS

• AU women's soccer has been using their platform to elevate their voices on issues that matter to them by using social media.
• Currently, the players are embarking on a weekly "Heroes" project, with each player creating an Instagram post to share a story of how a particular person is heroic to them. Examples so far have included Maya Angelou, Colin Kaepernick, and Sandra Day O'Connor.
•  Other examples of their social media campaigns include segments on mental health, MLK Day, and voter registration. Perhaps most notably, the squad organized a "Do You Hear Us" photo campaign that featured student-athletes, coaches, and athletic department staff in support of the fight against racism and social injustice. 

VIRTUALLY "PHIL" REEVES FIELD PRESENTED BY GEICO

• American University Athletics has announced a new virtual ticket campaign in an effort to sell out Reeves Field for the upcoming women's soccer season. This new season-long initiative, presented by "TEAM AU" partner GEICO, will challenge Eagles fans and alumni to virtually sell out each seat at Reeves Field for the 2021 men's soccer campaign. The "AU Founder" ticket price of $18.93 commemorates the year AU was founded. Click here to support AU Athletics by buying virtual tickets. 

HOW TO WATCH ESPN+

• A subscription to ESPN+ is available for purchase via ESPN.com, ESPNPlus.com, or the ESPN App. Fans can access ESPN+ content only after they have subscribed. To subscribe, click here. It costs $5.99/month or $59.99/year.

KEEP UP WITH US

• For the latest on American University Women's Soccer, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_WSoccer), Facebook (AU.WSoccer) and Instagram (@au_wsoccer).