WASHINGTON – American University women's soccer is set to honor six seniors before facing off against Bucknell on Saturday, March 27. Both teams are looking for their first wins of the season.  
 
QUICK INFO

• Date/Time: Saturday, March 27, 2:00 p.m.
• Site: Washington, D.C. (Reeves Field)
• Series History: Bucknell leads, 11-8-2
• 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

• Morgan Brinson scored American's goal on a breakaway just over 11 minutes into the match before Bucknell scored the equalizer in the 28th minute in a 1-1 tie in Lewisburg, Pa.
• The series started when the Eagles joined the Patriot League in 2001. The Eagles are 4-4-1 in nine meetings in D.C.
• Bucknell had won five straight meetings by a combined margin of 15-2 until last season's 1-1 draw at Emmitt Field. 

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 are coming off a tough loss to a strong Army side last weekend, 5-0. AU is still looking for its first goal of the season.
• 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 freshmen joining the program, 11 sophomores provide an exciting youth movement. In addition to a strong group of young players, the Eagles return a solid core of veterans with 11 upperclassmen. The team returns its top three 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.
• Today is Senior Day for AU Women's Soccer. The Eagles will honor Morgan Brinson, Ryleigh Brown, Reagan Gould, Asia Horne, Tori Kent, and Toni Williams. The group of six have played together all four years.
• 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 BUCKNELL

• Defense has been the story for Bucknell through three spring games, as the Bison have conceded only one goal in 310 minutes.
• This is Bucknell's best defensive start to a season since 2016, when the Bison allowed only a single goal in its first three matches.
• Bucknell's 0-1-2 record includes a pair of scoreless draws with Lehigh and Lafayette, bookending a 1-0 loss at Loyola.
• Kelly Cook is in her sixth season on the Bison sideline, and the March 13 game at Loyola was her 100th game as Bucknell's head coach. Cook knows the PL very well, as she was a two-year captain and three-time Second Team All-Patriot League selection at Colgate. 

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 began 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." 

RYLEIGH'S RECORDS

• Senior goalkeeper Ryleigh Brown has been a mainstay between the pipes throughout her career.
• She is just outside the program's all-time top five in three categories: minutes played as a GK (3,074), career saves (179), and career goals against average (1.64).
• The full record book can be found here.

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).