The women’s soccer team (2-1-1 Patriot League, 5-4-1 overall) extended its unbeaten streak in the Patriot League to three games, beating American University (0-3-1 Patriot League, 4-4-2 overall) 3-0 on Saturday in Washington, D.C.
The win propelled the Leopards to above .500 in the Patriot League for the first time this season. The Maroon and White currently sit in a playoff spot with five games left to play.
American grabbed the first clear chance on Saturday when an Eagles player drove through the heart of the Leopards’ midfield before producing a shot that sophomore goalkeeper Catherine Apker held comfortably. It was the Leopards, however, who dictated the play in the first half, controlling the pace of the game with their patient possession.
The Leopards cracked the game open in the 34th minute after winning the ball from an American throw-in. The ball found the feet of junior midfielder Sofia Ruggiero, who outmuscled her defender and fired into the far corner to score the first goal of the game.
The goal also marked Ruggerio’s first career goal for the Maroon and White.
“The more games I played, the more shots I was getting and the more confidence I was getting,” Ruggiero said. “I looked up and saw their goalkeeper miss her save, and it was a great feeling after that.”
Ruggiero would double both her own and the Leopard’s scoring tally just eight minutes later, nicking the ball off of the last American defender before cooly slotting past the keeper to give the Maroon and White a 2-0 lead. Ruggiero’s two goals led to her being named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.
“It was a lot in one week,” Ruggiero said. “Now it’s about going forward and to keep getting better and better.”
The Leopards would press on at the beginning of the second half, finding the third goal just five minutes into the period.
The goal was exemplary of the Leopards’ confidence in possession, as the team carved American open from back to front in just six passes. The move was finished off by junior forward Katrina Santelli, who swept home the assist from senior midfielder Ani Khachadourian.
The third goal appeared to spur American on to close the game, as the Eagles controlled possession for much of the second half and tested the Leopards’ resolve with 14 second-half shots.
The team still felt the importance of maintaining a clean sheet, even when the score was lopsided, according to senior defender Lauren Stewart.
“Clean sheets are hard to come by, but we know we can achieve them because our defense has been great all year,” Stewart said.
The Leopards held out for both the clean sheet and three points, winning the contest 3-0. The Leopards’ defense has now only conceded one goal in four Patriot League games.
“We are all working for each other,” Stewart said of the defense. “It’s not just one person, it’s our whole back four and our goalie. It’s paid off.”
The Leopards are searching for their first playoff appearance since 2019 after missing out last season by a single point. Both Ruggiero and Stewart emphasized the need to keep a consistent focus to end the drought.
“It’s not done until it’s done, so it’s really about for every game not taking it lightly and keeping the same mentality,” Ruggerio said.
The team is hoping to carry the momentum from its victory into its next match against Boston University (2-0-2 Patriot League, 2-7-4 overall) on Saturday at Gummeson Grounds.
“We’re playing really well,” Stewart said. “Everyone really wants this, and the results are going our way. I don’t think that’s by chance.”
