MAY 16, 2005
LADY EAGLE PRESS RELEASE

This month a chapter of AU hockey will close as five of the team's most influential players move on from their student careers at American.

The group of grads includes three captains, two all-stars, a team founder, and five highly skilled competitors (Sara and Cassie ALONE have 56% of AU's total goals for all 5 years of team history).

Friends to all, these leaders are off to that big Fort Dupont in the sky. We'll miss 'em. See their goodbye posters HERE


CHRISTINA KELLER
A grad student from Bancroft Alto, MI, Christina
made her only Lady Eagle semester a memorable
one. Drawing from past experience with the
Boston U. club, she became a vital part of
AU's offense in just 10 games played.

"I think my favorite moment was when we won that
game [vs Rutgers]," she says, "because I felt like
we all deserved it and we played as a team. And
then the potluck when Anne got drunk and gave
everyone paper plate awards."

Always smiling, always positive, Christina's off-ice
comradery was unmatched. She would offer her car,
her thoughts or her left arm to any teammate and
even played goal for a period so that Anne could
play out.

"They are an awesome bunch of girls!" she says about the team. "I had fun in my car trips...the time that we stopped off and went ice skating for fun after driving to Philly was awesome. I look forward to hearing about how that continues on into next year!"

Off to make the world a better place, Christina will be traveling to Ghana, Thailand and the West coast before landing in Cornell's grad school in September. She'll continue hockey there with the "Frozen Assets." The go-getter also devotes her time to her own entrepreneurial vision, Sustainable Enterprise (www.sustainablenterprise.com).

"I hope y'all will visit me in the cold frozen tundra that is upstate New York!"


SARA O'HARA
It's hard to imagine AU hockey without automatically thinking of number 13.

AU's most seasoned vet, Sara O'Hara first
learned hockey with American in 2001 during the
team's inaugural competitive season. She was
elected Alt. Captain and right away led the
inexperienced squad with 6 goals.

Four years later Sara has broken nearly every
record in the books: Most Games Played - 58,
Most Career and Season Goals - 54 / 30, Most
Career and Season Assists - 25 / 13, Most
Career and Season Points - 79 / 43, and Most
Goals in One Game (5).

She's averaged a goal in every single game but four...for four years, and had a blast doing it. "The silent auction last year was a lot of fun," she says. "Some of you remember it, and some of you do not (for various reasons)."

Twice a captain and once the Alternate, O'Hara
has always been known as an iron-clad leader.
She's played entire games without rest and
fought her way though entire teams. A strong
player of few words she has never been
interested in sugar-coating when leading the
way. Her advice? "Learn to skate, the rest is
easy." (...see?)

The 04-05 season was far and away Sara's best.
She racked up a record 30 goals, only went to
the box twice, missed one game, finished 4th in
the DVCHC for points and got a helper in the
All-Star game (pictured).

Sara, with her Masters in Chemistry, will
will continue to live in Maryland, look for a
job, and play hockey for the Chesapeake Bay Lightning (lucky them!).

"It's been a great four years," she said. "I loved playing with everyone and watching everyone grow as a team. Good luck next year!"


MICHELLE TRACY
The first Lady Eagle to ever wear the "C," Michelle Tracy was also the only experienced player on the 2000 founding team.

That year she used her seasoned defensive skills to lead and help train players, played in the first two games the team ever played (vs. Maryland) and then transferred on to a new school.

Cut to the year 2004 when the blue-liner returned to AU to finish up her last semester and play some hockey with a much different team than the one she left.

In eight games Michelle racked up 1 goal, 4 assists and 16 PIM defending the net. Her strength and skating experience helped her to push the puck up when desperately needed and shove forwards around when not.

Nicknamed "Cranbrook" (for her hated high school team), Michelle was a force on the ice and an involved teammate that was missed after her winter graduation in 2004.


LAURA BRAVO
The loss of Michelle put a strain on an already shortened supply of blue-liners, until Laura Bravo showed up. A junior from Texas, Laura had played D-III hockey before quitting to focus on her studies. That brought her to DC for American's Washington Semester program and back to the ice.

In her eight games as an Eagle Bravo proved herself with a goal, three assists and great defensive plays. Her knowledge of the game, strength and skating
ability made taking forwards off pucks look easy
while her cool-headedness made her a true
sportsman. Opposing coaches would always
comment on her after the game. Off the ice
Laura's quick smile and encouraging personality
made her someone others could look up to.

These qualities of skill and leadership were
recognized by the league in Feb. of 2005 as Laura
became the first AU player to win a DVCHC award:
Sportsmanship.

"I had an awesome time playing hockey with AU
this semester," Bravo said. "Wish I could have
been around for more than just the few months."

Next semester Laura will return to Lake Forest and is set to graduate next May. "If I make it back to DC ever I will definitely come see a game."


CASSIE WEAVER
"Never slow down or give in on the ice," Cassie wrote in her All-Star bio. "You can't always be the best, but you can always give all of your effort every shift."

Following her own advice, the hard-working, hard-nosed Cassie Weaver ends an impressive and dramatic career with AU that had it all.

There was triumph: the captain would leap into the air, pumping fists with each goal scored, 29 times with 15 assists in 36 games (second in all records only to legend Sara O'Hara). Cassie's natural prowess may yet be unmatched by anyone in the red, white and blue's history.

There was injury: two frustrating seasons were
shortened by concussions and a knee injury.
Still, ever the competitor, Cassie would suit
up for games or cheer from the sidelines.

There was romance as Cassie and fellow AU
student and coach Matt Dumpert started a
lasting relationship.

There was reward. An Alt. Captain and
captain, Cassie was also this year's DVCHC
All-Star Game MVP. She has constantly earned
the respect of the players around her, even her
"enemies" at the All-Star game took pictures
with their arms around her.

There was stubborn, competitive...um...violence.
Cassie holds one big record: 81 penalty mins.
That's at least one minor in every game for
three years.

But through it all, there was heart. 32 would skate
the tank empty and you'd never know until she got
back to the bench and puked. She'd finish and move to the boards, ready to jump again.

After an amazing career, the International Studies major surprised the team by graduating early next semester abroad. Each player will wear a yellow sticker during the 05-06 season, a season they all looked forward to following their captain through.

Cassie wishes the same. "Playing for AU and especially being a captain has been a highlight of my time in DC, and I'm sorry to see it go. I wish I had just one more game with all of you!!!"