Game 3  ·  American (1-1, 1-1 PL) at Lafayette (1-2, 1-2 PL)
Sunday, April 4  ·  2 p.m.  ·  Easton, Pa. (Rappolt Field)
All-Time Record: American leads, 21-8

WASHINGTON - The American University field hockey team will continue its two-game stint on the road on Sunday with a 2 p.m. start against Lafayette. This will be the first meeting between the two teams since the 2019 Patriot League Championships.

SERIES HISTORY

• American has dominated the 29-game series against Lafayette, 21-8, including a 6-4 record in Easton, Pa.
• The two teams last met on November 10, 2019, when the Eagles took home their 11th Patriot League title with a 3-2 victory in the championship game at Jacobs Complex.
• The Eagles come into the weekend with nine wins in the last 10 meetings.
• This is the first time since 2018 that the two teams faced each other in Easton. The Leopards came away with that win, their last victory over the Eagles, with a 3-1 final score. The last time AU came out on top in Easton was 2-1 overtime thriller during the 2016 season.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES

• American split its first two games of the 2021 spring season, opening with a dominant 4-0 shutout of Bucknell at home before falling to the Bison in extra time on the road in Lewisburg, 2-1, on March 28.
• Bucknell took the first lead of the game in the third quarter before sophomore Julia Kraft put away the equalizer off an assist from classmate Abby Kreider to tie the game at 1-1 with less than five minutes remaining in regulation. The score remained knotted through the final minutes of the fourth quarter and the first overtime period before Bucknell knocked in the game-winner in the final minute of the second period of extra time.
• The Eagles dominated the game offensively, though, putting up 23 shots to Bucknell's nine, including a 13-6 edge in shots on goal. AU also had 13 penalty corners, 11 of which came during the second half, to three from the Bison.
• Senior Noor Coenen, the PL Preseason Player of the Year and AU's lone returning All-American, leads the team with four points this season after pitching in a pair of assists alongside her goal during the season opener against Bucknell. Kreider follows with three points off a goal and an assist.
• Juniors Josie Formica and Aidan Rossman also contributed to AU's opening win with a goal each.
• Senior defender Georgia Davies, who joined Coenen on the PL Preseason All-League Team, continues to lead AU's defensive efforts. She was selected as the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week after holding Bucknell to only two shots during win on March 14. Coenen joined her on the PL's weekly awards release as the league's Offensive Player of the Week.
• Freshman goalkeeper Bryn Underwood has led the team from the cage in both outings so far this season and has five saves and a .714 save percentage.
• 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 Coenen, a 2019 All-American and defending PL Offensive Player of the Year, who entered 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 (43) and ninth for career points (105). 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.
• Davies also joined Coenen on the Preseason All-League Team and 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 268-146 (.647).

SCOUTING THE LEOPARDS

• After dropping the first two games of the season to Lehigh, 1-0, and Boston University, 2-1 (OT), Lafayette picked up its first win on March 28 with a 2-1 performance against Holy Cross.
• Audrey Sawers and Simone Hefting scored each of the Leopards' goals against the Crusaders with Sawers also pitching in the team's only assist.
• Goalkeeper Hailey Abbott picked up a pair of saves. She has three total after the first three games of the year for a .429 save percentage.
• Lafayette led with 10 shots, including four on goal, to Holy Cross' seven. The two teams were even on penalty corner opportunities with three apiece.
• Tara Hamilton has the team's only other goal so far this season from the overtime loss to the Terriers.
• The Leopards were ranked second in the league's Preseason Poll with 87 points and two first-place votes. Senior midfielder Anna Steps was selected as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and was joined on the All-League Team by junior forward Molly McAndrew.
• Lafayette closed 2019 with a 12-8 record and the program's first appearance in the PL Championship game since 2012.

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).