Sophie Willemse takes the ball down the field in the game against Ohio.
1
American AU (5-5)
2
Winner Delaware DEL (5-7)
American AU
(5-5)
1
Final
2
Delaware DEL
(5-7)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
American AU 0 1 0 0 1
Delaware DEL 0 0 0 2 2

Game Recap: Field Hockey |

Field Hockey Falls in Final Minutes to Delaware

NEWARK, Del. – The American University field hockey team had a Sunday matinee in Newark against a strong Delaware team. The Eagles were leading 1-0 over the Blue Hens until the start of the fourth period when the home team struck twice in three minutes before holding strong defensively to take the 1-2 victory over American.
 
QUOTES FROM COACH JENNINGS
"A hugely disappointing loss for us today–we generated some amazing attacking opportunities and gave ourselves enough chances to win but need to be better at our conversion rate. Delaware stayed sharp and hungry and came from behind to win–all credit to them.
 
"We will aim to improve in the necessary areas before another massive league game on Saturday versus Bucknell."

QUICK NOTABLES
  • The Eagles' lone goal scorer was Charllene Boshoff who leads the squad with six goals in six games played. The graduate student defender leads American with 12 points total. She also tallied a defensive save during the contest. Boshoff had six shots, five on target, for the afternoon.
  • Sophie Willemse, a first year, had a big moment at the end of the first half when she had a defensive save that kept the Eagles up before the first half finished. Willemse had three shots, one on target, and an assist as well.
  • With the result, Jennings is two wins away from reaching 300 careers wins as a head coach.
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • American controlled the action early, with the advantage in corners 3-0 over Delaware within the first eight minutes of the game.
  • The Blue Hens fought back though, and each team registered a shot on target in the first fifteen. Goalkeeper Bryn Underwood and her counterpart on Delaware, Kylie Walbert, each had a save.
  • The second frame was a reverse of the first. The period saw Delaware take the offensive to begin, with back to back corners, but Underwood kept the Blue Hens from taking the lead.
  • The tide shifted then for American. The team had two corners back-to-back themselves, the second of which was retaken. The Eagles, on the second attempt, sent the corner taken by Willemse to Boshoff who did what she does and slammed the ball back into the cage.
  • With 56 seconds left in the first half, Delaware had a shot that pulled Underwood out of the cage, but Willemse was there with a massive defensive save to keep the Eagles up 1-0 heading into halftime.
  • Coming out of the break, American was still holding control. With five minutes remaining in the period, the Eagles had taken three shots to Delaware's nil and had a 1-0 lead in corners in the frame.
  • When the third quarter came to a close, the score was still 1-0 with the advantage going to American. The Blue Hens worked themselves back into it, earning a corner and taking a shot, but not enough to do any damage in AU's lead.
  • At the start of the fourth period, with just 13 minutes left in the game, the Blue Hens earned a penalty corner and equalized to knot the two teams 1-all.
  • Three minutes later, with nine minutes remaining, Delaware earned another penalty corner, and after Underwood's kick save, the Blue Hens capitalized on the rebound and went ahead 1-2 over the Eagles.
  • With five minutes remaining, the Eagles had a corner that found the back of the cage, but it was called off and Delaware maintained their lead. Emily Horace was issued a yellow card with just under four minutes left, and the Blue Hens would play with an athlete-up advantage.
  • The Eagles took nine corners in the fourth, four coming in the final two minutes including the final one coming with eight seconds left, but it wouldn't be enough to make a dent in the Delaware lead and force overtime and the Blue Hens would take the 1-2 win over the Eagles.
  • At the conclusion of the game, the Eagles had taken 16 corners to the Blue Hens seven and had taken 19 shots (14 on goal) to Delaware's 14 (11 on goal). The Delaware goalie, Walbert, had 12 saves on the day. Underwood had seven.
UP NEXT
  • The Eagles have a double-double weekend at Jacobs coming up. They'll host Patriot League opponent Bucknell on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 11 a.m. and the Big Ten's Maryland on Sunday, Oct. 8 at 3 p.m.
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