BETHLEHEM, Pa. – After a school record seven game unbeaten streak to start the season, the Mountain Hawks look to start a new streak as they welcome the Binghamton Bearcats to the Ulrich Sports Complex on Friday night. Just two days after Lehigh was dominant in a 2-0 win over ACC member NC State, the Mountain Hawks stumbled at Monmouth on Sunday and were handed their first defeat of the season, 1-0. Lehigh has overall looked very impressive, with a record of 6-1-1 and a ranking of 13th in the Mid-Atlantic region by SoccerBuzz.com.
The Brown and White have been powered by a stingy defense that has yielded just two goals in eight games this season. Offensively, junior Gina Lewandowski continues to creep up on the Mountain Hawks career goal scoring record. Her four goals in 2005 give her 31 for her career putting her just six behind the record, held by Lehigh Hall of Famer Dia Johnson-Smith ‘96.
Binghamton comes to south Bethlehem trying to snap a three-game winless streak. Despite a 4-3-2 record, the Bearcats are a dangerous team. They won the America East Championship last year and earned the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Juniors Danielle White and Kelly Burnham are tied for the team lead with three goals and seven points apiece.
These two teams met last year in Vestal, N.Y. with the Bearcats claiming a 1-0 victory. Friday night’s game gets underway at 5:00 pm from the Ulrich Sports Complex. The game is the first of a Lehigh soccer doubleheader; the Lehigh men’s game against Navy will follow the women’s game at approximately 7:30 pm.
