Oct 10, 2008
AU Women's Soccer Takes 1-0 Decision Over Lehigh
Oct. 10, 2008
WASHINGTON - Brooke Sheppard scored her first goal of the season to lead the American University women's soccer team to a 1-0 Patriot League win over Lehigh on Friday at Reeves Field. The win broke the Eagles seven-game winless streak and gave them their first conference win of the season.
American (4-9-1, 1-1 PL) came out with high pressure to begin the game and got its first scoring opportunity just over five minutes into the game when Kelsey Brasher sprung to goal on a through ball, but Lehigh keeper Lauren Mains came out of goal to cover the ball. The Eagles were at it again with 37:50 left in the half when Erin Koch made run down right side and sent in cross that found Marissa Crollett, but Crollett sent her shot just wide.
Just over 10 minutes in, Krystn Hodge sent Brasher into goal. Brasher turned on her defender and sent the ball across the mouth of the goal, but came up empty on the far post. The Mountain Hawks took the ensuing possession the length of the field and created their best chance of the half, but Kelly McLaughlin made a tackle in the box, ending the threat.
With 27:37 left in the first half, Lindsey Miller won a 50-50 ball in the midfield and sent a through ball to Hodge, who crossed it and found another empty far post. Miller chased it down and sent the ball back into the box, finding Brasher, whose header went right into the hands of Mains. The Eagles had a slight 5-4 advantage in shots in the first half, despite having better scoring chances, but entered the intermission tied up at 1-1.
The AU offense continued to press and just 30 seconds into the second half Brasher got in behind the Lehigh (4-6-1, 0-2 PL) defense but sent her shot wide of goal. With 40:56 left in regulation, Sheppard took a pass just to the right of the goal and sent a shot into the near post, but Mains came up with the save, knocking the ball over the top of the crossbar. Kelsey Wiggins was tested for the first time with 28:17 left, when she kept Lehigh off the board with a sprawling save on a header off of a corner from Ali MacLeod. AU answered with a header off of its own corner, but Friederike Engel could not put it past Mains.
AU finally scored their first goal in seven games, when Sheppard collected a loose ball in the box that came off the foot of Kelsey Brasher. Sheppard sent a beautifully placed ball to the far post, upper right corner for what would stand as the game-winning goal and give the Eagles a 1-0 lead at 82:29. American closed out the final seven and a half minutes and evened its conference record at 1-1.
"This was a great team win," said AU head coach Dave Bucciero. "We got contributions from a lot of different players and we stuck to the game plan. We had a lot of offensive chances and we were finally rewarded with the game-winning goal. I liked the way we attacked the game for 90 minutes and we will look to carry over the momentum from today into Sunday's game against Lafayette."
Wiggins had three saves for the Eagles, while Mains made seven stops for the Mountain Hawks. AU held a 13-9 advantage in shots.
The Eagles will play their final home game at Sunday at 12 noon against Lafayette at Reeves Field. The five graduating seniors, Tatiana Bertolo, Lindsey Miller, Kelsey Wiggins, Krystn Hodge and Jess Cole will be honored before the start of the game.
