COLLEGE PARK, Md. – A relatively even affair saw the American University field hockey team push undefeated No. 3 Virginia into overtime. The Cavaliers retained their undefeated record on an overtime golden goal in the 67th minute over the Eagles, taking the game 3-2.
 
QUOTES FROM COACH JENNINGS
"We are super proud of our effort today against a very talented and well-coached Virginia team. We showed character and skill and contested every situation the whole day.
 
"The challenge for us is to build on this performance and to make this standard of play our consistent level–if we can do that, the sky's the limit."

QUICK NOTABLES

• Senior forward Rebecca Bonness scored her first goal of the season in the second quarter to open scoring for both teams for the day.
• Jordan Reicher scored her third goal of the Terrapin Invitational, her sole goal for the day's matchup with three minutes to play in regulation. Reicher has 12 points already this season with five goals and two assists.
• The Eagles were the first team this season to push the Cavaliers into overtime, and Virginia had previously faced two ranked opponents in No. 11 Liberty and No. 5 Maryland. UVA had the offensive 11-4 advantage in shots and a 7-3 lead in penalty corners taken.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Virginia opened the game proving that it was willing to play the slow game strategy as it had on Friday. Although American had early possession in their attacking half of the field, no opportunities came in the circle against the Cavs' defense in the first five minutes of the game.
• It wasn't until the ninth minute that the first shot of the game was taken, and it was Virginia's effort forcing a save from Bryn Underwood. In the fourteenth minute, Federica Turina Dellamaggiore took American's first shot, a backhanded slap that whiffed the right outside post of the cage.
• The Eagles kept getting opportunities to run into the final third of the field, the attacking circle, but it was consistently a 3-on-1 situation with the Cavaliers' defense quickly shutting down any further advances.
• In the 25th minute, Emilia Winkler, with a run that split trough the center of the midfield, fed the ball to Bonness. The senior forward didn't waste her first shot of the game, and with a backhanded attempt, sent the ball sailing into the upper left corner of the cage, just past the reach of Virginia's Tyler Kennedy to put the Eagles up, 1-nil.
• No corners were taken by either team in the opening 27th minutes of the contest until UVA wont the first, but nothing came from it. American's first corner of the day came in the 29th minute, but the ball was deflected harmlessly.
• It was the final forty seconds of the half when the tide shifted again. The Cavaliers won their second penalty corner, this time not missing their mark. After a corner opportunity got them the win on Friday over No. 5 Maryland, Virginia took advantage and sent the ball in, leveling the game 1-all with 34 seconds left to play before the first half.
• American had the first look of the second half, winning the team's second corner five minutes in, but the shot was a mishit and the ball went harmlessly wide of the goal.
• It was a back-and-forth third in terms of possession, with the only shot on goal coming from the Eagles' penalty corner. American was issued a two-minute green card penalty in the 43^rd minute, but Virginia was unable to capitalize on the player advantage.
• In the 50th minute, a well-placed shot from Virginia's Emma Watchilla went left past Underwood into the back of the cage to put the Cavaliers up for the first time in the contest, leading 2-1.
• In the 53rd minute the Cavaliers were shown a five-minute yellow card penalty. While under this penalty, the Eagles' Reicher nabbed a turnover and carried the ball solo down the middle of the field to take a shot that equalized the contest 2-all in the 56^th minute.
• A penalty stroke was awarded to the Cavaliers with one minute remaining, but the shot went wide thanks to Underwood and the Eagles were slingshot into overtime for the third time this season.
• The Cavs came out hot early in overtime, winning the first corner and taking the first shots on goal. Virginia registered three shots in overtime, one wide and one saved by Underwood before finding the game winner in the 67th minute, taking the game 3-2.

UP NEXT
The Eagles are back home at Jacobs for a double-duty weekend taking on William & Mary first on Friday (Sept. 20) and then Delaware on Sunday (Sept. 22). The game against the Tribe will be American's pride celebration while the Sunday matchup will be youth field hockey day with a free post-game clinic.
 
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