The AU Women's Soccer team entered this year with heaps of potential but not nearly as much experience. Yet as the season has progressed, the Eagles have met nearly every challenge, gaining experience and an impressive record.
That continued Thursday, as the team passed its stiffest test this fall, defeating a foreboding Virginia Commonwealth team 2-1 at Reeves Field with a late goal from sophomore forward Jana Lee.
Lee's winner came in the 79th minute, off a left-sided corner kick from sophomore defender Kristie Fontana. The goal won an intense, sometimes scrappy match in which VCU had most scoring chances.
Though the Rams (4-3) were persistent, the Eagles (5-1-1) were intelligent, seizing their few openings.
"It was a fantastic performance," said AU head coach Michael Brady. AU entered the match as underdogs, despite having their best seven-game start in the program's history. "I thought we showed maturity, we showed discipline, and we showed patience."
Lee, AU's aerial target at 5 feet,10 inches, rose above a herd of players in the penalty area to head Fontana's weighted ball inside the right post and over leaping Rams' keeper Lauren Hardison.
But Lee didn't just score the winner. She created the corner-kick on a powerful run down the left wing before playing a cross out of bounds off a defender.
"I'd been dying to get down the line and go at their defenders the whole game," Lee said. "My mentality was to go at goal ... a defender came and I thought, 'Hey let me just block it off her.'"
That play and ensuing goal punctuated a solid second half for the Eagles, who looked as dangerous as their opponents over the final 45 minutes. The Rams dominated the first half, outshooting the Eagles 11-1, but failed to finish all but one of those chances.
AU made the most of its solitary first-half shot when junior midfielder Marcela Ricupero sent the Eagles ahead in the 36th minute.
Freshman midfielder Irene Karistinos found Ricupero, sending her a low cross from the field's left corner. Hardison beat Ricupero to the ball, but she couldn't hold it and it fell to Ricupero, who scored.
Just a minute later, VCU midfielder Sandra Anger played a throughball to pesky forward Jen Parsons, who beat AU's offside trap. Parsons made no mistake, beating AU 'keeper Allison Doyle, who had little help.
"The timing was horrible," Brady said. "But that just points to the character and persistence of this team. Hopefully we can fix those lapses, but to battle back and score a goal with 11 minutes left speaks volumes."
At the half, the Eagles could have felt lucky to be tied instead of trailing. But they also saw that while the Rams weren't unbeatable.
"They're strong all around and our first instinct was to protect our side of the net," Lee said. "When we saw (the shot totals), we [said], 'We can play with them.'"
The Rams outshot the Eagles in the second half, but by a slim 7-5 margin. And they couldn't finish their chances.
The Eagles had the weekend off, but return to action at home Tuesday in what should be another intense affair against D.C. rivals Georgetown. Kickoff time is 3 p.m.
