In a tightly contested crosstown showdown, the American University field hockey team (9-7) dominated midfield as they defeated the Georgetown Hoyas (6-11) by a score of 3-1 at the Jacobs Recreational Complex on Oct. 18.
After a close win in their match against the Boston University Terriers (8-8) on Oct. 16, the Eagles were ready to bring that same victorious energy back. That energy showed, as the Hoyas were barely able to get the ball past their own half.
Senior forward Jordan Reicher and senior midfielder Elle Ridge were aggressive on the ball and a big part of stopping Georgetown’s attack. As a result, American earned two penalty corners within the first two minutes of the game.
“We do an awful lot of work on how we can be in the correct position so we can get intercepts and then be in tackling positions to get counterattacks,” head coach Steve Jennings said.
With over seven minutes left in the first quarter, sophomore midfielder Riley Clouse scored her first goal of the season. Good passing and attention to the ball gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead in the first quarter.
After a quick break, Georgetown’s defense could not adjust to the Eagles attack, with players clustered around the goal for about 10 seconds. The pressure forced the Georgetown goalie to step out, giving Ridge a clear shot off a rebound at 10:39 left.
Although the Hoyas struggled defensively, Georgetown senior midfielder Izzy Lee made a couple of interceptions to keep the score at 2-0 through halftime.
Coming out of the break, Georgetown knew they needed to slow the ball down. However, American’s aggressiveness was too much for the Hoyas, forcing a turnover and an immediate goal by freshman forward Sam Kockx.
“I feel like we had a good connection today, passing sequences, the energy and the support was good,” Kockx said. “I was really hungry for the ball. I really wanted to score today.”
The Eagles kept that energy for most of the game, letting up only once at the 13-minute mark of the third quarter when Georgetown midfielder Adelae Chierici scored. Her goal came less than a minute after Kockx’s.
“There’s just a tendency for the opposition to really be hungry and try to go and immediately strike out. There’s a little bit of a tendency for us to relax, and we don’t want to relax,” Jennings said.
After a minor setback in the third quarter, American brought back their opening energy in the fourth. Senior midfielder Emilia Winkler stalled for about a minute by keeping the ball close.
Winkler was triple-teamed the whole time but kept the momentum going. The Eagles controlled the final quarter, passing the ball back and forth up the field.
With a total of five penalty corners for the Eagles and two for the Hoyas, American held the advantage in opportunities throughout the game and continued to hold on for the 3-1 win.
“We were so excited to play them because it’s kind of a District battle, so before the game we told each other we had to win. It’s our field,” Kockx said.
The Eagles return to Jacobs to face the Lehigh Mountain Hawks (2-14) on Saturday, Oct. 31.
This article was edited by Matthias Jaylen, Jack Stashower and Gabrielle McNamee. Copy editing done by Avery Grossman, Nicole Kariuki, Rena Jalon and Abigail Jose.
