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March 9, 2004 | Stats

Senior midfielder Tara Michael scored six points to lead American to a 15-10 win over Mount St. Mary's on Tuesday.

ORLANDO, Fla. — The American University women’s lacrosse team allowed Mount St. Mary’s to score the first two goals of the game Tuesday in Orlando, Fla., but the Eagles stormed back with the game’s next eight goals in a 15-10 victory over the Mountaineers. The win is the first of the season for AU and the first in head coach Ashley Flanigan’s career.

Trailing 2-0 just 6:38 into the game, American’s Tara Michael (Owings, Md./South River) scored the first of her four goals in the game to launch an Eagle offensive outburst. Rebecca Copeland (Webster, N.Y./Webster) followed up Michael’s goal with one of her game-high five goals, and AU’s streak would not stop until the Mountaineers scored with 1:10 left in the opening stanza.

Copeland opened up the scoring in the second period with another goal, this one from a free position, and the rout was on. The Eagles scored six of the next 10 goals to take a commanding lead, 15-7, before the Mountaineers tallied three goals late.

Michael led American with six points, including two assists, while Nicole McCarthy (Flourtown, Pa./Springfield) added two goals and two assists for four points. Senior co-captain Lynn Brandon (Exton, Pa./Henderson) scored the game-winning goal, her first of the season and third in her career, and added a team-high three caused turnovers. In net, sophomore Kathleen Finnegan (Arnold, Md./St. Mary’s) was spectacular, turning away 13 Mountaineer shots in 60 minutes of action.

The Eagles improve to 1-3 on the season and return to action Saturday in their Patriot League opener, versus Bucknell. Game time is set for noon.