Lehigh continues its preparation for '06 season
8/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
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Despite a slew of nagging injuries that comes with the rigors of preseason training in hot, humid conditions, fifth year head coach Manny Oudin is pleased with what he’s seen from the Mountain Hawks so far.
“Overall the team came into camp in pretty good physical condition,” said Oudin, the three-time reigning Patriot League Coach of the Year. “The wear and tear of the preseason has caused us to develop a few minor injuries, but I still feel like we’re progressing well.
The Mountain Hawks lost just two starters from last year’s team, which set school records for wins (14) and shutouts (13) while allowing the fewest goals in division I soccer. Oudin has a wealth of talent back, with 17 letter winners including three of the Patriot League’s major award winners from 2005. A group of eight newcomers also figure to make immediate contributions.
“Sure, it’s nice to have a lot of veteran players,” Oudin explains. “But when you have some injuries, sometimes you don’t have an experienced player to show a younger player how to do something, or you’re forced to throw a less experienced player into an unfamiliar situation.”
The Brown and White played an exhibition game at
“The preseason matches serve as evaluation of where we are,” said Oudin. “It helps us figure out what things we need to focus on in training and we get to see how the players respond to competition. I want for our players to show they deserve to be on the field and that they understand our system and what the coaching staff is asking of them.”
Following Tuesday’s scrimmage, Lehigh will set its sights on Friday night’s season opener, when the Mountain Hawks will host Marist at the Ulrich Sports Complex. Game time is set for 7:00 pm with audio and video coverage online at lehighsports.com with streaming powered by Yahoo! Sports.
