The AU women's soccer team lost to George Washington University 1-0 on Tuesday, extending a four-match losing streak in which the Eagles have failed to score one goal.
Despite controlling the pace of play for a majority of the game, AU couldn't capitalize on scoring opportunities. Then, in the 87th minute, GW senior midfielder Kerry Philbin scored the game-winning goal, connecting with a header through traffic.
"We have to play better in the final third of the field," said AU head coach David Bucciero, referring to the Eagles offensive zone, where AU put nine shots on goal but still came up empty.
The Eagles' best opportunity came in the 18th minute, when junior forward Kelsey Brasher collected a rebound and shot the ball past GW freshman goalkeeper Lindsey Rowe. But the ball struck the right goal post. Just moments later AU retained control, but senior forward Kristen Hodge had her shot denied by Rowe again.
In the first half, GW only mustered up three shots on goal to AU's five, and the trend continued in the second half. AU junior defender's Erin Koch and Erin Stebbins each had golden opportunities early in the second half, but Stebbins sent her shot wide, and Rowe denied Koch's shot.
As the game went deeper into the second half, the Eagles began to fatigue and lost the momentum they once controlled. The Eagles were playing their fourth game in seven days, and the tired legs from a long weekend trip to New York showed.
GW took advantage of a misplayed ball by AU junior defender Olivia Heditsian, setting up a corner kick in AU's zone with less than five minutes left in regulation. GW senior defender Lauren Kelly curled a kick out of the corner and connected with the head of teammate Philbin for a beauty of a goal.
For teammates Philbin and Kelly, it's nothing new. The two women have played organized soccer together since fifth grade, and Kelly said she was looking for her old reliable teammate when she set the goal up.
"When it came off my foot I knew it felt great," she said. "We just grinded it out."
"We play well when things get down to the wire," Philbin said.
Despite Philbin's devastating goal, coach Bucciero believes his team still played well, improving its play from a road trip to New York last weekend that included a 5-0 loss to Columbia University and a 2-0 loss to Long Island University.
"We absolutely played better than the weekend," he said.
Although AU can draw positives from the loss, it still doesn't erase their recent inability to score goals. The Eagles will try to get out of this rut before they roll into Patriot League play.
AU's next match is away against Loyola College, at 1 p.m. this Sunday. This will be the university's last match against a non-conference team.
You can reach this staff writer at sports@theeagleonlne.com.
