WASHINGTON - A quality first half performance and a hat trick from Reagan Murdoch was not enough for the American University lacrosse team to defeat Temple on Saturday afternoon, as the Eagles fell 13-9 after the Owls scored eight second half goals. 

Notable

• Murdoch scored her three goals on five shots, and one off of a free position chance. Kellie Linehan followed her with two goals of her own, adding two draw controls and two caused turnovers on a busy day for the senior.
• Sammie Buonaccorsi led the defensive effort for AU, causing a career-high five turnovers and scooping up three ground balls. The Eagles made the Temple offense uncomfortable, causing 12 of their 14 giveaways. 
• AU won 11 draw controls to 13 for Temple, led by three from sophomore Lauren Appleby. 
• Adria Kotzian logged three points on the day, dishing out two assists and scoring her first career goal. Freshman Shannon Silvius netted her first goal as well. 
• Brooke Hill made 10 saves for the Eagles, stopping six in the first half to keep her team in the game early. 

How it Happened

• AU went punch-for-punch with Temple early on, trading goals and eventually taking a 6-5 lead into the locker room. 
• Anastasia Byrnes got American on the board seven minutes in, executing on a man-up opportunity. She took on her defender off a feed from Kotzian, firing to the top of the cage to beat Riley Horoshko and tie the game 1-1. 
• Trailing 3-1 with just over two minutes left in the first quarter, the Eagles went on a 5-2 run to end the first half. 
• Linehan rifled in a free position try to start the spurt, then Murdoch snuck a shot past Horoshko at the near post. Silvius scored next, ripping a left-handed shot to the right side of the cage after bursting past a defender. 
• Murdoch added her second tally off a free position chance, then Annabelle Jackson did the same with just 35 seconds remaining in the half. 
• The Owls got out in front quickly at the start of the second half and never lost control of the game from there, outscoring AU 8-3 before the final whistle. 
• Lexi Culp, Sabrina Martin, and Amelia Wright combined to score four unanswered goals and give their side a 10-6 lead. Murdoch stopped the bleeding for AU with a goal in the final minute of the quarter, finishing off a feed from Deridre Brown at the back end of an excellent transition break by the Eagles.
• The visitors got their lead up to 13-7, making late goals from Kotzian and Linehan not enough for AU. 

Up Next

• The Eagles will make the short trip to GW on Wednesday, Feb. 18 for a crosstown matchup with the Revolutionaries. First draw is set for 1 p.m.

Keep up With Us

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