Celebration
After playing a scoreless opening half, the American University women's soccer team caught fire with three second-half goals to come away with an impressive 3-0 victory on Saturday afternoon at Reeves Field. Senior Kelsey Brasher led the Eagles with a goal and an assist on a day where American's seven seniors were honored prior to the match.
Navy (13-4-2, 4-1-1 Patriot League) had the best scoring opportunity for either team in the first 45 minutes of action on a shot by Anastasia Abid. American goalkeeper Arianna Efstathiou made a lunging save on the shot, tipping it over the crossbar. The Eagles held a 9-2 advantage in shots in the first half, although few of the opportunities threatened Navy goalkeeper Beth Reed.
American (10-9, 5-2 PL) turned on the pressure in the second half, and began controlling the action on both ends of the field. The Eagles got on the scoreboard in the 67th minute on a beautiful shot by freshman Michelle Montilio off a pass from Brasher. From 20 yards out, Montilio's strike clipped the upper-left corner of the goalpost and found the back of the net, giving American a 1-0 lead.
The Eagles continued to stay aggressive on the offensive end, converting a key insurance goal in the 81st minute on a fantastic individual effort from Brasher. She drove the ball up the middle of the field, and weaved a shot past Reed for a key insurance goal.
AU added its third goal in the 87th minute when Brooke Sheppard's corner kick cross was knocked home by senior Erin Stebbins.
Efstathiou made two saves in the victory for the Eagles, picking up her sixth shutout of the season. She is now tied for second most single-season shutouts in program history.
"We played some very good soccer today and really possessed the ball well," remarked American University Head Coach David Bucciero. "It was important for us to get back on track because we had not been playing very well. I am extremely proud of our entire team today and it is great to get a win against a great program like Navy."
Prior to the match, American's seven women's soccer student-athletes were honored. The senior class has recorded 34 victories over the four years, including a 14-7-8 record in the Patriot League and two PL Tournament appearances.
With the victory, the Eagles finished the regular season with a 5-2 Patriot League record, the third-best conference winning percentage (.714) in AU history. American clinched the No. 2 seed in next weekend's Patriot League Tournament and will face third-seeded Bucknell in the semifinals, which will be played on Friday at Colgate.
Watch the prematch Senior Day ceremony:
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