The Women's Field Hockey team dominated the Longwood Lancers, earning a victory for their first game of the season, defeating the Lancers, 4-0. Last Sunday's game at Georgetown showcased sophomore Shannon Goans with one goal and one assist.
Head Coach Steve Jennings attributes the win to the team's overall talent.
"Our basic skills, tactile plays and athleticism really helped control the flow of the game," Jennings said. "It was a matter of when the goals went in, not if."
The Eagles scored late in the first half, at 28:06. Goans assisted sophomore Maureen Daniel for the first goal of the game. Only two minutes later, Goans netted a goal herself, with a feed from freshman Tiffany Carter.
The team continued its shutout into the second half with senior co-captain Melissa Snyder scoring AU's third goal. The game went more than 18 minutes without scoring, but finally junior Javiera Villagra scored the game's fourth and final goal at 65:09.
Senior co-captain goalkeeper Laura Miller held off the Lancers, blocking all four shots, compared to AU's offense, who fired off 23 shots. Also, the Eagles had more penalty corners than the Lancers, 8-3.
The freshmen will be an "integral part of this year's team," Jennings said. "We have several starters and key reserves ... they've already brought the level of practice up."
This would not have been the Eagles' first game if the competition against St. Joseph's last Saturday had not been postponed due to weather conditions. The game stopped with 29 minutes left in the second half.
The Eagles were offensively superior in the first half with a score from Snyder, off a rebound, and a goal from Carter only a minute after entering the game. The game is tentatively rescheduled for the end of September or the beginning of October.
AU's biggest challenges this year in the Patriot League will be against Lafayette and Holy Cross. However, outside the league Maryland and James Madison University will prove to be exciting match-ups.
The team travels to Richmond Friday, Sept. 5 and returns "home" to the University of Maryland to play Rider on Sunday at 2 p.m.
