It took the women’s soccer team nine games to earn their first victory of the season. After Sunday’s 1-0 win at home against the University of Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers, it has now taken the Eagles just one more game to rattle off their second.
“It’s easy to look at American and say ‘they were an 0-8 and they are not a good team,’ but the reality of it is that we were facing some very good opponents,” Head Coach David Bucciero said. “We felt like we were playing better and getting close to the win — and I think in the last two games it fell for us.”
Despite the thrilling double-overtime victory against Radford on Friday, AU (2-8) came out of the gates a bit sluggish and disorganized early in the first half, unable to fully ride the momentum of the season’s first victory.
Only a booming shot at the 19 minute mark from 30 yards out by midfielder Brooke Sheppard could calm the nerves of both the AU players and fans who had become all too familiar with a struggling offense. The AU offense has scored only three goals in all previous matches. All UMBC (1-6-1) goalie Lauren Kadet could do was get a piece of the shot with her hand before it bounced over her head and into the net.
“We’ve had a little trouble in our attacking final third just because we get a little frantic — we try to score so badly that we tend to rush the pass a little bit,” said Sheppard, who also scored the game-winner against Radford. “It’s something that sometimes takes us a few minutes to get settled in and really start to work it around.”
From that point onward, AU dictated the pace of the game and dominated the possession of the ball. The first half finished with an 11-7 AU shot advantage, but more importantly, the team spread the field and sustained the pressure in the UMBC zone, narrowly missing the net on several occasions.
The Eagles began the second half just as aggressively as the first half finished — and the offense remained in attack mode, with several speed rushes upfield stunted because of offside calls. AU was also unable to capitalize on an early corner kick and a beautifully set-up free kick 10 minutes in from MacKenzie Kerrigan to Friederike Engel, which sailed wide right. The Eagles finished the half with 16 shots.
Two rare offensive chances from UMBC in the second half nearly nullified all of AU’s hard work. About 15 minutes in, UMBC’s Aly Gazarek found free space in the Eagles’ defense and fired a shot that ricocheted off the cross bar. Later in the half, AU goalie Lindsey Farthing made a key save on a well-struck shot from just outside the box to preserve the lead.
The defensive lapses were rare and the Eagles were particularly adept at limiting offensive space for UMBC.
As AU’s first Patriot League game looms — with just one game against Vermont in the way — it’s crucial that the Eagles build on their winning ways.
“It was absolutely vital that we broke the [losing] streak,” Bucciero said. “From a confidence standpoint it’s huge because you can do all the talking you want, but until you get the result [you want], it doesn’t matter.
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