Women's Soccer Season Ends with 2-0 Loss to Navy in Patriot League Semifinals
Nov. 9, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The American University women's soccer team's season ended Friday at Varsity Soccer Field with a 2-0 loss to third-seeded Navy in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals.
From the start of the game, it looked as if American would control play. The Eagles in the first minute of the game had a golden opportunity go awry when an AU ball into the box slipped through Navy's keeper's hands and bounced along a yard in front of the goal line. Krystn Hodge was there for the Eagles, but her left-footed attempt undercut the ball and it flopped over the net.
In the 23rd minute, Patriot League Rookie of the Year Friederike Engel found herself at the end of a beautiful breakaway ball that rolled into the box. As Navy keeper Lizzie Barnes came off her line, Engel tried to chip it over her but could not get enough of a foot on it and Barnes made the save.
That chance proved costly for the Eagles, because Navy immediately counter-attacked. After a long ball by the Midshipmen, Navy's Brigitte Fox, the leading goal scorer and point-scorer in the league, tracked the ball down at the top left corner of the box facing the goal and put a solid left foot on it. AU keeper Kelsey Wiggins, the PL Goalkeeper of the Year, stretched out to her left, but the shot was just out of her reach and found the low right corner to give Navy a 1-0 lead.
American had several more chances in the first half, but went to the locker rooms still down 1-nil.
American's best chance to tie the game came in the 71st minute, when Engel put a cross in front of the keeper to a wide open back side. Brooke Sheppard was on a run on to the back pipe with a Navy defender on her hip, but the ball was just inches away from her outstretched foot.
As the clock ran down, the Eagles changed shape, pushing a third forward up and began making more runs up the field with their backs. Unfortunately, the move did not result in many more chances offensively, as the Mids countered by dropping 10 defenders, and eventually Navy took advantage on another counter.
In the 86th minute, Fox took another long ball into the box and chipped it over Wiggins to ice the game away.
Navy now advances to the PL Championship Game on Sunday to face the winner of tonight's Bucknell-Army matchup.
American ends its season at 10-6-3 overall, its most wins since an 11-win season in 2004.
