Unseasonable heat did not faze the AU Field Hockey team Wednesday, when they picked up a 4-0 shutout victory over cross-town visitor, Georgetown University.
“All the team brought a lot of energy and sustained pressure,” AU Assistant Head Coach Sarah Thorn Krombolz said. “It is really hard when you’re sustaining pressure over long periods of time for other teams to bounce back. We did a really good job with that.”
The Eagles dominated the field, rarely allowing the Hoyas to bring the ball past midfield. Senior forward Savannah Graybill’s crisp goal off a centering pass from Tatum Dyer gave AU the lead in the third minute. Capitalizing on the momentum generated by Graybill’s goal, the team rounded out the half with 11 shots on goal and two assisted goals by senior defender Anne-Meike De Wiljes and junior midfielder Kirstin Gebhart.
An unassisted goal by Graybill in the final 10 minutes of play served as a final reward for the Eagles’ relentless attack in the second half, during which AU took another eleven shots on goal. Although Hoya freshman goalkeeper Clodagh Coghlan made seven saves, the team’s offense was unable to respond on the attack. Krombolz credits a solid AU defensive line that was able to shutdown any threatening attacks.
Stand-out player of the game, Savannah Graybill, now ranks ninth in career points at American with 84 and sixth in career goals with 37. Graybill praises her teammates for her success in the match and this season.
“I think we are all really good at feeding off each other and today I happened to have the best game,” Graybill said. “We really work together.”
The team views non-conference play, like Wednesday’s game versus Georgetown, as an opportunity to compete against teams they are not familiar with and teams they may meet in the future.
“Our out-of-conference schedule is really strong, and that helps prepare us for the toughest opponents possible,” Krombolz said.
AU returns to conference play on Saturday, Oct. 24, with an away match at Lafayette College. The team hopes to extend its two-game winning streak.
You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.
