BALTIMORE - A 76th-minute header from sophomore
Natalia Croce helped the Eagles earn their first point in Patriot League play with a 2-2 draw at Loyola Maryland on Wednesday evening. Freshman
Piper Garcia also found the back of the net, giving AU an early lead with her ninth-minute goal.
Notable
- American (0-8-3, 0-2-1) scored multiple goals in a game for the first time this season, first taking a lead and later coming back with an equalizer.
- Garcia's goal was the second of her season and career, while the goal for Croce, a defender, was her first career tally.
- Senior Bella Miller recorded her second assist of the season, and sophomore Jayden Fisher notched the first assist of her season and career.
- Freshman Riley Molbury made four saves in goal, playing the full 90 minutes.
- The physical contest saw three yellow cards issued for both teams, but Loyola (1-2-8, 1-1-1) topped AU in fouls, 12-5.
How it Happened
- In the ninth minute, senior Bella Vozar sent the ball into the box from the right side, finding three AU players waiting.
- Garcia touched it to senior Lauren Sanders, who passed it over to Miller. Miller's shot towards the center was saved by Bridget Mulholland, but the ball rebounded off her hands and to the feet of Garcia, who took advantage of the opening and poked the ball in from just in front of the goal.
- Junior Mia De Villegas-Decker nearly gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead with a strong shot from the top of the box in the 35th minute, but Mulholland came up with the save.
- AU's 1-0 lead held for nearly the entire half, but the Greyhounds scored the equalizer with just over two minutes to go.
- Megan Wijdoogen touched the ball to Leah Carter on the left side of the goal box with just over two minutes left, and Carter found a narrow opening in the lower left corner before Molbury could get to it.
- Total shots favored Loyola 8-5 in the first half, but the Eagles had a 3-2 edge in shots on goal.
- Molbury made a save eight minutes into the second period, and a shot by Loyola bounced off the crossbar 30 seconds later.
- In the 59th minute, Rylie Van Wingerden put the Greyhounds on top with a long blast from the top right of the box that found the left side of the goal.
- Fisher had two chances for American soon after Loyola's go-ahead goal, first on a free kick in the 64th minute, but it sailed high. She struck again a minute later with a long strike from the top of the box, but Mulholland punched it over the top.
- AU earned its fifth corner of the contest in the 76th minute, and the Eagles made it count.
- Fisher sent a perfect ball to the far post where Croce headed the ball into the top left corner to tie the game.
- Molbury made a diving save on a free kick by the Greyhounds with eight and a half minutes left, and a more routine save with five minutes left after her status had been in doubt due to a collision.
- AU's final chance came on a long shot by a driving Sanders with two minutes left, but it went over the net.
Up Next
- The Eagles will play their next Patriot League game on the road once again, heading to Lehigh on Sunday, Oct. 4.
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