WASHINGTON – After opening up the scoring early and often in the first quarter, the American University lacrosse team (2-1) never relented in a 15-2 win against crosstown foe Howard University (0-3) in just the fourth meeting between two teams. Sophomore Maddy Spratt led the way as she scored three of the Eagles' goals in the first quarter to secure the early lead.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Spratt led the way with three goals while adding an assist while all four of her shots were on goal. She also added a ground ball to her efforts.
• Freshmen made their presence felt throughout the game as Annabelle Jackson continued her hot start to the season with her sixth and seventh goals on just four shots. Kellie Linehan also added another goal on her lone shot of the game while recording an assist, caused turnover and ground ball. Reagan Murdoch kept up pressure on goal with three shots, scoring one.
• With just one shot taken, junior Hannah Spease added a goal of her own, adding her fourth to her total after finding the back of the net three times against UMBC in the Eagles' previous game.
• Junior Lizzie De Guzman also added a goal to the Eagles' efforts while she also added an assist, ground ball and caused turnover.
• Coming off the bench, seniors Sadie Herman and Sydney Wender pushed their way up on offense as each scored a goal. Also coming off the bench, sophomore twin sisters Jaime Petronis and Kate Petronis got in on the scoring as Jamie scored one goal and Kate added another two while also contributing an assist.
• Sophomore Ashley Smith, freshman Rachel Kolton, sophomore Alyssa Apuzzo, senior Emma Hare each added an assist on the day.
• Junior goalkeeper Mary Alic Collins earned the win while allowing just one goal and making two saves. Sophomore Lexi Rakis came in later in the game and made three more saves while allowing Howard's only other goal of the game.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Jackson kicked off the scoring with the first goal of the game in the fourth minute of the first quarter and added another just three minutes later. In between Jackson's scores, Linehan added the Eagles' second goal on her long shot in the game.
• Spratt notched American's fourth unanswered goal of the game with 6:52 remaining in the first before Howard answered with a goal of its own.
• Responding to Howard's score, the Eagles scored three more goals before the end of the first quarter. Spease added American's fifth goal with an assist from Kolton before Spratt finished her hat trick with the next two goals, the second assisted by Linehan.
• Murdoch started off the second quarter with the Eagles' eighth goal before Apuzzo scored her first goal of the season.
• Each of the Petronis sisters found the back of the net for goals to cap off the Eagles' dominant first half.
• Both sides entered into a defensive match through an unblemished third quarter before American put its offense back into motion in the fourth quarter as Kate Petronis scored the first of the Eagles' four fourth quarter goals.
• While a man-up in the fourth quarter, American added two goals with De Guzman and senior Sadie Herman each finding the back of the goal.
• Howard earned its second goal of the game, but Wender responded with the Eagles' final goal of the contest.

NEXT UP

• American remains at home with a 1 p.m. start on Wednesday, March 1, against George Washington before finishing its home series against Mercer with a noon game on Saturday, March 4.

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