WASHINGTON - The American University field hockey team (5-2, 1-0 PL) picked up its fourth consecutive win on Friday with a decisive 3-0 performance against LIU. The game opened a two-match weekend for the Eagles, who will return home on Sunday to host No. 9 Maryland at 3 p.m.

HEAR FROM COACH JENNINGS...
"Very happy to come away with another shutout today - we were much improved in terms of keeping possession and building the ball, and that will need to be a theme for us going forward."

NOTABLE

• The Eagles put up a well-rounded offensive effort, with three players contributing a goal each to the final score sheet - junior Merel Dupont, senior Josie Formica, and senior Noor Coenen.
• Senior Gaby de Kock added a pair of assists on the day while sophomore Emily Horace added another.
• AU absolutely dominated offensively, putting up 13 shots while the Sharks had only two looks at goal. American also led in penalty corners, 7-4, with two resulting in goals from Formica and Coenen.
• Sophomore goalkeeper Bryn Underwood, who entered the weekend after a career-high 10 saves during the overtime win over Lafayette on Saturday, picked up a pair of saves on both attempts from the Sharks. This is the second consecutive shutout for Underwood, and the fourth of her career. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• American had a slow start to the day, allowing LIU the first offensive push. The Sharks drew three of their four penalty corners in the opening 10 minutes and placed a pair of shots on goal but failed to find the back of the cage as Underwood came away with saves on both.
• Dupont opened scoring with less than five minutes remaining in the first quarter, putting away her second goal of the season to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead at the break.
• American took control of the game in the second quarter, posting six shots with four coming from the stick of Coenen. It was Formica who finally connected with the back of the cage, though, firing one in after the Eagles' fourth corner of the stanza to give the squad a 2-0 lead at the half.
• Coenen finally added her name to the score sheet early in the third quarter, taking the assists from de Kock and Horace after AU's fifth corner of the day.
• The Eagles continued to push in the remaining 25 minutes of the game as de Kock, sophomore Imogen Hatton, and seniors Georgia Davies and Aidan Rossman all had looks at goal, but the score remained 3-0 at the final whistle. 
• LIU failed to get a shot off after the first 10 minutes of the game, and only drew one more penalty corner in the second quarter.

NEXT UP
American will close the weekend back home at Jacobs Complex on Sunday, hosting No. 9 Maryland at 3 p.m. This will be the fifth ranked opponent for the Eagles this season and they enter the match with two ranked victories over No. 23 VCU, 2-1 (OT), and No. 21 UMass, 3-2 (OT).

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