EASTON, Pa. – It was the best version of Lafayette field hockey at Rappolt Field on Saturday afternoon for Senior Day as the Maroon and White put together one of their top performances of the season to clinch a spot in the Patriot League Tournament with a 3-1 win over American.

American, coming in as one of two teams to already earn a spot in postseason play and sitting at 3-1 in Patriot League action, saw an inspired Lafayette side that shut out the Eagles for 70 minutes before a penalty stroke at the final buzzer put the score line at 3-1. Lafayette moves to 7-9 overall with the victory and 4-1 in Patriot League play with an ability to get to as high as the two seed with a victory over Bucknell next weekend.

"I've been telling the group that we just need to be consistent and keep focusing on what we've been training, maximizing opportunities when we can," head coach Jennifer Stone said. "To get three goals against a really good American team is a fantastic testament to that effort."

Freshman Molly McAndrew and senior co-captain Theresa Delahanty were the difference-makers offensively for Lafayette as McAndrew scored a pair of goals and Delahanty added a score and an assist. Senior co-captain Rachel Bird was also stellar on the defensive end with two defensive saves next to six stops from junior goalkeeper Sarah Park.

"We came out with a lot of energy and were finding each other and seeing our options well," Delahanty added. "To have this victory against American, who is always so competitive every year, is just a great feeling."

Delahanty was one of five seniors honored before the contest, headed to the Patriot League Tournament for the second time in their career. She was joined by Bird, Adriana Pero, Kristen Taylor and Liza Welch.

"The senior game is always a special one," Stone said. "Our seniors have done a lot for the program and certainly to get this win for them against a great American team is significant. Our leadership from the five of them has been fantastic."

Lafayette hung tough defensively over a battle ofa  first half that took more than 33 minutes for the first goal to materialize. Through the run of play, Delahanty worked down the right side and found McAndrew cutting toward the goal line to her left. McAndrew corralled the pass and beat a sliding American goalkeeper Maura Jacobs over the top for the 1-0 lead heading into the halftime break.

The Leopards faced another push from American looking for the equalizer to start the second half and stemmed the tide before doubling their lead in the 51^st minute. McAndrew's second tally came from a brilliant individual play as she deked an Eagle defender down the left side and sent a beautiful low shot across the goal and into the right side.

Lafayette's insurance tally came just over six minutes later when junior Caroline Turnbull found Delahanty through a scrum after a corner and the senior ticked it up and over Jacobs for a 3-0 lead. American added the penalty stroke against the Leopards' Hailey Abbott with no time remaining, but that didn't change the outcome as the Maroon and White walked off the field with a 3-1 victory.

Park stopped six shots on the afternoon without allowing a goal for her seventh win of her junior campaign, while Jacobs gave up three goals and made two saves to fall to 7-6 on the year. American led in shots, 13-9 and corners, 10-5.

The Maroon and White have two regular-season games remaining with one more non-conference tune-up before a showdown with Bucknell in the season finale next weekend. Lafayette travels to Ithaca, New York on Monday for a meeting with Cornell at 4 p.m.