The American University women’s soccer team lost another game of Patriot League play to Boston University 1-0.
The team entered Reeves Field fully cognizant of their opponents capabilities, as BU is tied for the best record in the league and has historically dominated the Eagles. AU looked for a recovery after their 1-0 loss to Army only days before and hoped to gain momentum and finish their season in high spirits.
With the team in the thick of a Patriot League tournament push, every game means so much more. Before their Sunday faceoff with BU, the team played in four league games, tying two and losing two.
The game was fast paced from the very start. Swift movements combined with offensive efforts on both sides made it clear both teams were hungry to meet the back of the net that afternoon.
AU’s defense was led by graduate student Asia Horne, who continued to manage communication throughout the back end of the field and find lanes that could transition the ball forward. Junior defender Izzy Kadzban used her speed and ball-handling skills to hold BU off for as long as possible.
“In some ways [this loss is] a victory because it’s something we’ve been working towards improving. It’s a matter of putting those pieces together,” Horne said. “We need to keep pushing and be more consistent. We have four games left and we can do that.”
BU was scoreless the entire first half thanks to eight saves by sophomore goalie Julia Kato. However, the Terriers could only be held off for so long, as Morgan Fagan ultimately scored in the 58th minute of the game, giving BU their 1-0 advantage.
AU had 3 corner kicks in the second half, each one inching them closer to what they hoped would be a goal.
“I think any one of those could’ve been a goal if the service was right. It’s important to complete that final pass,” Head Coach Marsha Harper said. “We’re still growing as a team and if we can space out the congestion during corners to create more space, we can finish it.”
AU’s defense continued fighting and worked to transition the ball forward. The offense was aching to find the cross, finish the goal and tie the game back up. Despite multiple breakaways towards goal, the Eagles were unable to tie up the game.
“We need to shoot to score and work to create more of those moments,” Harper said.
The Eagles’ next matchup was Oct. 12 against Navy, where they lost 1-0 to the Goats.
