The AU women's soccer team dropped its season opener on Saturday, losing to Georgetown in overtime 2-1 during the team's annual Phil Reeves game.
A record crowd of 1,152 people cheered and chanted throughout the match, reflecting the intensity of the play on the field.
Robbie Schwartz, a senior in the School of Public Affairs, said he was shocked by the number of fans at the game.
"I am proud that the AU community has gotten involved in our athletics," he said.
The two teams would not disappoint the crowd, as each squad came out of the locker room shooting for the first goal.
AU was able to capitalize on their first great scoring chance 25 minutes into the game, as senior Krystn Hodge raced down the right side of the field and crossed it to junior Kelsey Brasher, who put it into the net to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
After AU controlled the majority of the game, the Hoyas were able to get onto the scoreboard 13 minutes into the second half of the game on a goal by Sara Jordan to tie up the game.
AU had one final chance to retake the lead with only fifteen minutes remaining in regulation play, but freshman midfielder Mikaela Weaver could not get her shot past the Georgetown keeper.
The two teams once again traded shots in overtime. Hodge took the first attempt only minutes into the overtime period but was denied by the Hoyas' keeper.
Minutes later, Georgetown scored the winning goal as Caitlin Durkee took the ball from a scramble in front of the net and put it past AU keeper Kelsey Wiggins to give the Hoyas the 2-1 victory.
The loss is the first in the AU career of head coach David Bucciero, who made his Eagles coaching debut against the Hoyas after spending the previous four seasons as an associate head coach at Boston University.
Even in defeat, Wiggins took home AU Student-Athlete of the Week honors for her eleven saves during the game.
The Eagles will travel to Georgetown on Friday to face Ohio University as part of an opening-season tournament. The game kicks off at noon.
