The No. 19 AU field hockey team overcame a slow start Friday afternoon to beat the University of California 2-0 at home.
Second half goals by seniors Emily Stovicek and Anne-Meike DeWiljes, coupled with a strong showing by the AU defense, led to a non-conference win against the Golden Bears.
Despite controlling possession and spending the majority of the first half in Cal territory, many AU players agreed that they came out a little bit on their heels. A great save by senior goalie Alyssa Poorman and a barely wide shot by senior Savannah Graybill were some highlights of the first half that could have tipped the scale for AU. Though American dominated shots on goal 7-1 and had four penalty corners in the first half, they weren’t able to capitalize on their chances.
“I think we played down to their level; we slowed down because they slowed down, we were soft because they were soft,” Stovicek said. “We were in control of everything but the rhythm.”
In the second half, the Eagles came out firing and quickly seized the lead. Ten minutes into the second half, a cross in front of the goal by freshman Kelsey Davis was misdirected by Stovicek and rattled the back of the net; Davis was credited with her first assist of the season. Not long after, AU struck again on a penalty corner set play. Anne van Erp in-bounded the ball to fellow junior Kirstin Gebhart, who set it up for DeWiljes to score a straight shot goal.
“We talked about making professional plays while we were in the circle,” Associate Head Coach Sarah Thorn Krombolz said. “Our forwards did a great job with it today.”
The Golden Bears (2-3) did not go down without a fight and had a few close chances in the final closing minutes. A rock-solid defense and a couple of fantastic diving saves by Poorman ensured the two-goal victory. DeWiljes, Graybill and junior Christine Fingerhuth led the Eagles with three shots apiece; AU out shot Cal 11-5 over the course of the game.
“I think we’re more of a team than we’ve ever been before,“ DeWiljes said. “The atmosphere is really different; everybody just loves to be here and wants to win the National Championship, and we started wanting that back in December.”
The win puts the Eagles one step closer to achieving that goal, as it pushes their record to 4-2 on the year. AU field hockey will next be on display Sunday Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. against Wake Forest.
You can reach this staff writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.
