WASHINGTON – Time and time again the Eagles rose to meet the challenge from the Mountain Hawks in a Patriot League showdown. However, the American University lacrosse team (6-6, 2-3 PL) could not overcome the early barrage of goals from Lehigh (8-5, 3-3 PL) as the Eagles lost 16-11 at home on Senior Day.

BY THE NUMBERS

• The freshmen duo of Annabelle Jackson and Rachel Kolton led the Eagles offensively with three goals apiece while each put four shots on goal. Kolton also added a ground ball to her efforts. Jackson's three goals gives her a team-high 24 goals for the season.
• Junior Hannah Spease and freshman Kellie Linehan each added two more goals with both players putting three shots on goal. Spease added four draw controls and a pair of ground balls throughout the game.
• Sophomore Becca Frank capped the scoring efforts for the Eagles with a goal of her own while assisting on another.
• Sophomore Maddy Spratt also added a point to her team leading 35 points for the season. Spratt also earned a pair of draw controls while causing a turnover and collecting a ground ball.
• Sophomore Jenna Walls kept active on the defensive end for the Eagles as she caused two turnovers and gathered three ground balls.
• Seniors Grace Brennan and Jane Reffelt also maintained a strong defensive presence as Brennan secured a pair of ground balls and caused a turnover while Reffelt gathered a ground ball and caused two turnovers.
• Junior Jordan Mitchell and freshman Reagan Murdoch were also able to add to the Eagles efforts with each wrangling a ground ball while Mitchell also caused a turnover.
• Junior goalkeeper Mary Alice Collins stood tall in front of the net as she saved 11 of the Mountain Hawks' 27 shots on goal. Collins upped her total saves for the season to 88, keeping 44% of shots out of the net.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both sides traded early goals as Jackson was able to put American on the board first with a goal just over a minute into the game. However, Lehigh managed to score two back-to-back goals in the fifth minute of action to take a 2-1 lead.
• Through the next seven minutes, stellar defensive efforts kept each side scoreless until Spease flipped in a deflected shot on goal from Alyssa Apuzzo for another American score, leveling the score at 2-2.
• Before the first quarter could come to an end, though, Lehigh cut through American's defense for two more goals, the second coming with the Mountain Hawks a player up after a yellow card was issued to Walls.
• The Eagles fell further behind as Lehigh scored four more unanswered goals to take a 8-2 lead in the first five minutes of the second quarter.
• Responding in kind, American scored the only three other goals the remainder of the half to keep within striking distance, 8-5 at halftime. Linehan earned the first of the three goals with 9:28 remaining in the quarter before Frank and Kolton each scored a goal a few minutes before the break. Kolton's goal came on an assist from Frank.
• American continued to apply pressure to start the second half as Kolton added her second goal of the game just over a minute into the third quarter. However, Lehigh was able to score three straight to strengthen its lead 11-6.
• The Eagles battled back, once again, to keep within striking distance as Jackson scored her second goal before Spease beat Lehigh's goalkeeper for a goal on a free position.
• American and Lehigh proceeded to trade goals for the remainder of the third as the Mountain Hawks got on the board again with a goal with 7:20 remaining before Jackson completed her hat trick with 6:11 left in the third. Likewise, Linehan managed to find the goal with an assist coming from Spratt between a pair of Lehigh goals to end the quarter.
• Trailing 14-10 entering the penultimate frame, the Eagles managed three more shots on goal, but the Mountain Hawks stood tall in their defensive efforts while also adding a pair of goals.
• Battling until the final whistle, American was able to beat Lehigh's defense for one more score as Kolton earned the goal on a free position opportunity with three minutes remaining.

NEXT UP
On Wednesday, April 12, at 4 p.m. American will be home against Patriot League rival No. 20 Navy in the Eagles' Mental Health Awareness Game. The Eagles will then go on the road for two regular season games against conference foes Bucknell on Saturday, April 15, and Colgate on Saturday, April 22.

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