Junior attacked Lauren Aksionoff's (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) three goals and two assists and 18 saves from goalkeeper Kris Vida (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) helped the American University women's lacrosse team overcome Davidson, 9-5, Saturday at Maryland's Women's Lacrosse Complex. The win was Head Coach Katie Woods first career win and the team's first season-opening win since 2002.

After an early setback for the Eagles, in which Davidson scored just 1:51 into the contest, American jumped all over the Wildcats. AU scored the game's next six goals, including two by Aksionoff and one each by Kira Sonberg (Millersville, Md./Old Mill), Danielle Rhinehart (Linthicum, Md./Mt. de Sales), Lauren Lane (North Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) and Robin Levine (Bethesda, Md./The Bullis School). The Eagles chased Davidson starting goalkeeper Michelle Pav just 22 minutes into the game after their fifth straight goal.

However, the Wildcats came back with two goals, including one with just 38 ticks left in the first period, to tighten the game to 6-3 going into halftime.

Things got even more exciting when Davidson came out of the halftime break and scored the second half's first goal on a free position shot to pull the Wildcats within two goals.

Yet the resilient Eagles bounced back, again on the back of Aksionoff. The Baldwin, N.Y., native tallied a goal with 22:22 remaining from a feed from number 22 Jackie Lane (North Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) to make it 7-4, then Jackie Lane tallied a marker of her own to stretch the lead back to four.

Davidson attempted to make another comeback, and Haley Cook scored on another free position shot with 12:04 to make it a three-goal game and it looked as it would be a shootout to the end. However, AU's defense tightened, and sophomore Leslie Fischer (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) slammed the door on any Wildcat hopes of a comeback when she tallied an unassisted goal with 1:06 remaining.

Vida's 18 saves were the most by an American goaltender since April 25, 2005, when former AU keeper Kathleen Finnegan stopped 18 shots from then no. 24 ranked George Mason University. Alyssa Romano (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin High School) also helped the Eagles' defensive cause with a game-high four caused turnovers and two ground balls.

Davidson, which falls to 0-1, was led by two goals each from Haley Cook and Emily Diefendorf.

American returns to action on Monday, Feb. 26, 2007, when it travels to Towson to take on the Tigers in a 4:00 p.m. start.

2007-02-17