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April 26, 2003 | Stats

Nadia Harmsen scored eight points to tie the school record for points in a game.

WASHINGTON — Dominating the entire game, the American University women's lacrosse team toppled the Lehigh Mountain Hawks, 16-3 to move onto the Patriot League Champtionships this Sunday at 1 p.m. Standout performances came from senior Nadia Harmsen and junior Tara Michael. Harmsen's total of eight points ties the school record for points per game. Michael maintained control for the Eagles with six ground balls and three draws. This win moves AU's overall record to 10-6 with Lehigh ending its season 10-4.

The first half started off with the Mountain Hawks still in the game as they kept the score close with a goal by Sarah Starsoneck with 24:30 to go in the half. However, after Starsoneck's goal, Lehigh was never able to break through. The goal was quickly matched by American sophomore Rebecca Copeland and then a break away save by freshmen Kathleen Finnegan put AU in motion to take control of the game. The Eagles scored three more goals, two of which were from sophomore Gina Rittano until Lehigh's final goal of the half at 11:46. With the score 6-2, AU maintained control with four more shots to end the half 10-2. The final goal in the half by American came from Harmsen who was given a free position shot following a Lehigh foul with 13 seconds left on the clock.

The Eagles continued their scoring streak after the half with six straight goals to put them in the lead, 16-2. Of those six goals, two came from Harmsen with the others coming from Michael, Rittano, Copeland, and freshman Moriah Linnell. Copeland's goal in the second half made her game total four, scoring on all of her shot attempts. The only goal in the second-half for Lehigh came with two minutes left by Barrie Cominsky. With AU winning by 13, this game ties as the fourth largest win in AU history and the three points that Lehigh managed to score goes into the record books as the sixth fewest ever allowed in school history.

AU will play No. 3 Bucknell in the Patriot League Championship tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Reeves Field. The Bison defeated No. 2 Colgate, 13-9 in the other semifinal.