Sports

Sukaj's experience lifts AU

Senior volleyball outside hitter Rubena Sukaj routinely kills records and aces competition in the Patriot League. However, she owes much of her success to her parents. Sukaj grew up in Tirana, Albania. It was because of her father and brother's love for sports that she got involved with volleyball at 12 years old.

McLaughlin sets tone for Eagles women's soccer

At five years old, Kelly McLaughlin stepped onto the soccer field and never looked back. "I played other sports, but I played soccer the most and decided to stick with it," she said. McLaughlin, a junior in the Kogod School of Business, is now a starting defenseman for AU's women's soccer team.

Women's soccer falls 2-1

The AU women's team concluded their regular season with a 2-1 defeat to Bucknell University Saturday, ending their chance to qualify for the Patriot League's postseason tournament. The loss ends the Eagles' season record at 5-10-4 and 2-2-3 within the league.

Field hockey splits last two games

The AU Eagles' field hockey team finished its season strong with four victories and one loss in its last five games after it beat Lehigh University 6-0 Friday and lost 5-2 to 10th ranked Princeton University on Sunday. The Eagles dominated conference play, finishing the season 5-0 in the Patriot League and outscoring its Patriot League opponents 19-1.

Using defense for offensive goals

Often a good offense is a great defense but for the Washington Capitals, their defense is nothing but offense. In their last five games, the Capitals have scored 15 goals and their opponents have scored 16, producing a record of 2-2-1. While it is still .

Tipping off NBA season

Three games down, 2,457 regular season games to go. The National Basketball Association tipped off its regular season Tuesday, with the Boston Celtics raising their championship banner, the Milwaukee Bucks falling to the Chicago Bulls, and the Portland Trail Blazers' Greg Oden's disappointing departure from his first game after only 13 minutes of play.

Halfway there: NFC midseason review

We are halfway through the National Football League's season, and in the spirit of the fall semester, here is how your favorite NFC squads scored on their midterm exams. I'm sorry if your team plays in the AFC and aren't mentioned in my progress report, I just don't follow the AFC enough and I wouldn't want to provide any "false" insight or hurt your AFC loving feelings.

Hobbling towards halftime

Now that the first half of the NFL season is over, it is clear that this season has been just plain mediocre and has given fans little to cheer about. The blame for this mediocrity rests in the laundry list of injuries plaguing NFL stars. There is essentially a Pro-Bowl team's worth of injured players this season.

Men's soccer falls to UVA, 4-2

Freshman Jack Scott's pair of goals were not enough to prevent the AU men's soccer team from losing 4-2 to the University of Virginia Tuesday night. The loss snaps the Eagles' three-game winning streak and drops the team's record on the season to 7-6-2 overall.

Womens soccer

Junior forward Mary Reigler scored in the 67th minute to give the AU women's soccer team an eventual 1-1 tie against College of the Holy Cross Friday. The tie improves the team's record to 5-9-2 on the season and 2-1-2 in the Patriot League. After playing to a scoreless first half, Holy Cross was able to get on the scoreboard first on a goal by freshman defender Katherine Donnelly in the 57th minute to give the Crusaders as 1-0 lead.

Eagles add to streak

AU women's volleyball swept both opponents this weekend, defeating the U.S. Military Academy and College of the Holy Cross by matching 3-0 scores, to add to its season-high 12-match winning streak. The two victories improve the Eagles' record to 17-6 on the season and a perfect 9-0 in the Patriot League.

Mens and womens swimming

The AU men's and women's swimming and diving teams earned a split against Providence College this weekend, as the women defeated the Friars 192-99 while the men fell 209-109. The women's squad won 11 of the 13 events in the meet, with Sophomore Dorothy Issacs and freshman Alexandra Wessel earning two individual victories each.

Field hockey alone in first place in PL

The No. 18 AU field hockey team claimed sole possession of first place in the Patriot League this weekend by defeating Lafayette College at Reeves Field Saturday. The Eagles improve to 9-6 on the season and 4-0 in the Patriot League. The Leopards were the stronger of the two teams during the first half, taking four shots on goal against junior goalkeeper Alyssa Poorman but she saved everything that came her way to preserve the scoreless tie entering halftime.

Men's soccer soars into first in PL

Thanks to junior defender Dor Yasur's first goal of the season, the AU men's soccer team remains undefeated in Patriot League play this season, following a 1-0 victory over College of the Holy Cross at Reeves Field Saturday. The win improves the Eagles' record to 7-5-2 and 3-0-1 in the league, which was good enough for first place.

Women's soccer brief

The women's soccer extended its unbeaten streak to a season-high three games following a scoreless draw against Patriot League-leading Navy on Friday. The tie pushes the Eagles record to 5-9-2 on the season and 2-1-1 in the Patriot League. Navy took a 13-6 advantage in total shots but senior goalkeeper Kelsey Wiggins was able to make two saves to preserve shutout.

Semin's fast start helps him lead Caps

By netting six goals in the first five games, he has become one of the premier left-wingers in the National Hockey League. No, we are not talking about Alexander Ovechkin, but rather his countryman Alexander Semin. This season, Semin has stepped up as the team's leading scorer and as one of the most explosive players on the bench.

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