WASHINGTON - The American University lacrosse team moved into fourth in the Patriot League standings on Saturday after a thrilling 12-11 win over Bucknell at Jacobs Complex. The Eagles are now 8-5 overall and 3-2 in the Patriot League while the Bison fall to 8-5 on the season and 3-3 in the conference.

There are now four games remaining in the regular-season as AU battles for its first Patriot League Tournament berth since 2013, and a potential home game in the quarterfinal round on Sunday, May 1.

BY THE NUMBERS

• It was a tight game from start to finish with six ties, including four in the first half alone.
• Fifth-year Kendall Goldblum helped pace the Eagles with four goals, including the game-winner with just under 90 seconds to play in the game.
• Senior Stefanie Walsh also scored four goals and added an assist for a team-high five points.
• Three other Eagles scored with freshman Maddy Spratt putting away two along with an assist while senior Katie Pierce posted her sixth goal of the season and freshman Alyssa Apuzzo added one along with an assist.
• Fifth-year Emma Vinall once again led in the circle with six draw controls. Fifth-year Sarah Boney and Walsh added three ground balls and a caused turnover each.
• AU sophomore goalkeeper Mary Alice Collins picked up 11 saves on the day.
• Taylor Kopan led the Bison with four goals while Taylor McClain had a game-high four assists alongside her one goal for a team-high five points.
• Bucknell goalkeeper Caitlin Tucker closed with a dozen saves in her 60 minutes.
• American held the advantage in shots, 35-27, and barely held the edge in ground balls, 19-18, and draw controls, 14-13.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Walsh was the first to get on the board, giving AU a brief 1-0 lead before Bucknell's Kopan tied the game four minutes later. 
• Back-to-back goals from Walsh and Spratt ended the first quarter with the Eagles back in the led at 3-1.
• Bucknell was quick to tie the game again, though, opening with two unanswered goals before Spratt found the back of the net after a nice pass from classmate Apuzzo. 
• The Bison continued the run to take their first lead of the game at 5-4 with just under six minutes left in the half.
• Spratt once again helped break up the run, sending in a pass to Pierce who snuck one in past the Bucknell keeper to tie the game back up at 5-5.
• The Bison had the final say with a three-goal run in the final four minutes of the stanza to send the teams into the break at 8-5.
• Once again, Walsh got American's offense rolling in the second half with a free position goal in the third minute, but Bucknell re-opened its three-goal lead a few minutes later.
• Walsh converted another free position shot with just over seven minutes left in the stanza and Goldblum followed up with her first of the day to make it a one-goal game at 9-8.
• By the end of the third quarter Bucknell had pulled back ahead by two, but it was all Goldblum to start the fourth quarter as she posted back-to-back goals to even the score at 10-10 with just under eight minutes to play.
• Apuzzo rounded out the three-goal AU run a few minutes later to give AU an 11-10 lead, but Bucknell continued to hold on as another Kopan goal a minute later brought the game to its final tie at 11-11 with just under three minutes remaining.
• The quarter ended how it began, though, as Goldblum ran the ball in and launched in a beautiful shot into the upper corner of the net to secure the win with just under 90 seconds on the clock.

NEXT UP
American is back on the road on Wednesday with a 5 p.m. start at Navy before returning to Jacobs for its regular-season home finale and senior day celebration on Saturday, April 23, against Colgate.




For the latest on American University Lacrosse, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_Lacrosse) and Instagram (@au_wlax).