The American University lacrosse team (4-12) sent its seniors off with a huge 14-7 win on April 11, beating the Holy Cross Crusaders (6-9) at Reeves Field.
The Eagles were driven by the beautiful weather, a loud sideline and a full senior day crowd from the opening whistle.
Sophomore goalkeeper Brooke Hill anchored the Eagles’ defense with a 15-save performance in net, and senior midfielder Reagan Murdoch led the way on offense with 5 goals, pacing a balanced American attack.
“Today’s game was incredible from start to finish,” head coach Lindsay Teeters said. “We certainly had a few shining stars out there in Brooke Hill, Reagan Murdoch, [and] Deirdre Brown, but the entire team did their part.”
American wasted no time setting the tone in the first quarter. The Eagles scored on a fast break in the very early minutes, then followed with more quick passing and strong possessions to build a 3-1 lead.
Hill came up big with multiple early saves, helping the Eagles hold the Crusaders to a single goal in the opening quarter. By the end of the quarter, the sideline energy was already electric, as Teeters described it.
Holy Cross briefly had momentum early in the second quarter, converting during an American yellow card stretch and using quick ball movement to pull even at 3-3.
The Eagles answered at the 8-meter line, however, turning fouls into important scoring opportunities.
Murdoch and junior attacker Adria Kotzian helped steady the offense as American pushed back ahead before halftime.
“The Patriot League is a tough league, but we’ve still got a chance of making it to the Tournament,” Teeters said. “More than that, it’s about finding our rhythm and confidence.”
American definitely found that rhythm in a big way after halftime. The Eagles opened the third quarter with another 8-meter finish, then went on a run of unanswered goals.
Hill’s back-to-back saves and clean clears fueled that stretch, giving the offense repeated opportunities to score.
Brown helped anchor a defensive line that forced rushed shots and turnovers, and Teeters pointed to that third-quarter surge as some of the team’s best lacrosse of the season.
The bench erupted after every defensive stand and caused turnover, and by the start of the fourth quarter American was firmly in control of this game, continuing to control draws and turn stops into scoring opportunities on the other end.
They stacked on more goals, and kept a comfortable lead even as Holy Cross tried to make a late surge in the game.
When the Crusaders cut into the lead with under five minutes left, the Eagles responded again. American added another burst of offense and closed things out with a final 8-meter goal to seal their 14-7 win.
Beyond the score of the game, the afternoon centered on this year’s senior class.
“This is a very special class, my first true recruiting class at AU,” Teeters said. “They’ve certainly left their mark in the record books, but more importantly they set the tone for how we want this program to succeed for years to come.”
Teeters said that the seniors have matured into strong-willed, determined and passionate young women.
“They are role models for the underclassmen and gave everything they had over these last four years,” she said.
As the regular season winds down, American is keeping its focus narrow.
“We’re still focusing on one game at a time,” Teeters said, “and continuing to build the foundation we need to succeed year in and year out.”
This article was edited by Connor Sturniolo, Jack Stashower and Walker Whalen. Copy editing done by Avery Grossman, Arin Burrell, Mattie Lupo, Nicole Kariuki and Ryan Sieve.
