HAMILTON, N.Y. – Chris Sullivan provided the goal that lifted the American University men's soccer team over Colgate on Friday night, playing a ball off a volley and slotting his shot perfectly into the bottom right corner of the net to break the scoreless tie in the 87th minute. The goal gives the Eagles their first win of the season, and earns them a 1-0 start to Patriot League play.
Notable
- Sullivan's goal was the first of his career, and just the second of the season for AU. The junior midfielder led the team in shots on goal coming into the game, and now has seven on the year.
- Today was American's best offensive effort of the season. The Eagles took a season-high 19 shots and put three on goal. Moad Ezzahir led the team with five total shots, while Colin O'Brien took four and Sebastian Garces took three.
- Sophomore keeper Evan Tubbs made five saves and earned his third clean sheet of the year.
- The Eagles are now 1-3-2 overall.
How it Happened
- AU controlled the match in the first half, taking nine shots to zero for Colgate. The Eagles established a presence early in the attacking third, frequently sending balls into dangerous areas.
- In the 10th minute, Javi Gonzalez drove a ball into the box that Oliver Snowdon redirected to Colin O'Brien. He got his outstretched right foot to the ball, but his shot went just over the crossbar.
- AU took six more shots before the end of the half, with Henrick Boahen putting one on goal.
- The Eagles continued to be dangerous at the start of the second half, as Patryk Rojek sent a header from inside the box just wide of the frame seven minutes in. He received a beautiful cross from Finn O'Brien from the right flank.
- In the 73rd minute, Tubbs came up with back-to-back saves to keep the score tied. With Colgate threatening in transition, he got two hands to a well-struck shot from Blake Pipikin at the near post. The save resulted in a long rebound that fell to Spencer Osbourne outside the box, who bulleted a shot to the low left side, but Tubbs reacted well to make a diving stop and end the chaotic sequence.
- The Eagles kept pushing in the late stages and found their goal. Sebastian Garces forced a diving save from Gavin Vichengrad in the 87th minute, and American kept possession off the rebound. Gonzalez lofted a ball into the box for Ezzahir, whose shot was blocked by a Colgate defender and fell to Sullivan. He chested the ball and struck it off a volley with his left foot, beating Vichengrad to the low right side.
- The Raiders took three more shots before the final whistle, but none went on goal and AU took the 1-0 victory.
