After suffering a 2-1 loss in overtime on Friday to Towson University, the AU women's soccer team bounced back on Sunday with a 2-0 victory against the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers. The Eagles currently have a record of 5-2.
Friday's game was a defensive battle. Despite out-shooting Towson 16-11, American only successfully connected with the Tigers' net once in the second half. Neither American nor Towson scored in the first half.
This all changed within the first two minutes of the second half when Towson's Kaitlyn Zamroz headed the ball past AU goalie Hannah Radley. The Eagles evened the score with 20 minutes left to play in the game when midfielder Kelsey Brasher tallied her sixth goal of the season. Knotted at one, Towson and American headed into overtime where, four minutes in, Zamroz squeaked the winning goal past Radley.
Sunday's game was a different story. There was a sense of excitement floating on the crisp fall breeze. After losing two straight games, the Lady Eagles played against Mount St. Mary's with tenacity and vengeance. With fluid ball movement and staunch defense, the Eagles capitalized on their opponents' mistakes. The crowd went wild when a little over half an hour into the game, American's freshman midfielder, Brooke Sheppard, connected with the net on a cross from midfielder Tatiana Bertolo. After the goal, the Eagles' defense dominated the game. Defenders Olivia Heditsian and Annette Scott helped protect the backfield when the Mountaineers brought the ball too close to the net. Cheers and jeers erupted from Mountaineer and Eagle fans alike when hard contact left players from both teams face-to-face with the grass. Twelve minutes into the second half, Eagle defender Jess Cole had to be helped off the field after she collided with a Mountaineer.
With four minutes to play, Brasher scored her seventh goal of the season off another assist by Bertolo. There was no looking back for the Eagles.
"We defended well as a team, and we were organized," said AU Coach Michael Brady. "We took care of the details that are essential to winning a soccer game."
The Eagles look to continue their winning ways when they play George Mason on Tuesday. Looking ahead, Coach Brady says, "As long as the performance is good, the outcome of the game does not matter. Everything will take care of itself"
