The No. 10-ranked AU field hockey team closed out the weekend with a 3-1 victory over the No. 14 Duke University Blue Devils on Sunday in front of a record crowd of 1,013 at Jacobs Field.
The Blue Devils went on the attack early in the first half, forcing AU goalie Hannah Weitzman to make a diving save in the 13th minute off of a Grace Christus shot in front of the goal, but AU was able to counter off Duke’s missed chances.
Five minutes later, freshman Constanza Palma stole the ball in the midfield, dribbled through multiple Blue Devil defenders and passed it to Shelly Montgomery, who attempted a shot. Even though Duke goalkeeper Samantha Nelson made the initial save, freshman Alex McMackin was there to tap the ball in and score the Eagles’ first goal of the game.
After McMackin’s goal, the momentum swung as AU outshot the Blue Devils 8-2 in the first half. With 15 minutes left in the first half, Melissa Casale scored AU’s second goal off of a saved Lotte van de Mierop shot to put the Eagles up 2-0 at halftime.
Christine Fingerhuth added the Eagles third and final goal, scoring her second penalty stroke of the weekend and her 11th goal of the season after she stole the ball just beyond the scoring circle and drew a foul.
AU’s defense was a key factor in the game, forcing multiple turnovers and only conceding one goal off a penalty corner in the 50th minute. With a 3-1 lead, AU’s defense, led by junior Tatum Dyer and senior Gina Hofmann, denied the Blue Devils another goal despite three penalty corners in five minutes late in the second half.
“We always try and make sure the circle is something that is like this ‘untouchable area,’” Dyer said. “We really want to guard it with our lives.”
“We knew we needed to step up and play a great game. There was a huge crowd and I think the team likes playing really good, challenging opponents,” Head Coach Steve Jennings said. “So I think they were ready to go, and we just got after it.”
The victory was AU’s fourth consecutive match against top-25-ranked opponent and extended their winning streak to 10 games.
The Eagles go on the road to face Colgate University in a Patriot League matchup on Oct. 16. Perhaps their most difficult challenge to date, AU will play No. 2 University of Maryland on Oct. 20. The Eagles will return home against the Bucknell University Bison on Oct. 23.
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