BETHLEHEM, Pa. – As the Mountain Hawks extended their home shutout streak by another 90 minutes, three players were recognized for their efforts from the last week on Monday. Senior Jim Morahan and freshman Jesse Schram each received a weekly award from the Patriot League while senior Joe Verdi was named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week. Morahan was selected at the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week, while Schram received an honorable mention for his performance.
Morahan has been solid in goal for the Mountain Hawks, recording shutouts against Penn, Columbia and Richmond in the last week. The Englewood, Colo. native made nine saves, including one in the last seconds of the Columbia game to preserve the shutout. He currently carries a 0.40 goals against average and an .857 save percentage.
Schram gave the Mountain Hawks the scoring chances at the right times. Against Penn, he had the assist in the game’s first goal and then provided a goal in the game against Columbia to guarantee a Mountain Hawk victory. Schram’s goal came after Columbia goalkeeper Michael Testa deflected a point-blank Kyle Evans shot right to Schram’s feet. The Durham, N.H. native has started in all five of the Mountain Hawks’ games and currently carries three points on the season—one goal and one assist.
Verdi was one of 11 players selected from the nation’s Division I teams to make up the weekly national team. He has helped anchor the Mountain Hawk defense that has only allowed two goals the entire season. In his most recent game against the Richmond Spiders, Verdi drew perhaps one of the more dangerous players on the Spiders’ roster, Delano Pierre. The Ivyland, Pa. native was honored in the first week by the Patriot League with an honorable mention in the league’s weekly awards. In Lehigh’s game against Fairleigh Dickinson, Verdi set the Mountain Hawks up for their first goal of the season when his free kick took a wicked bounce at the top of the box in front of the goalkeeper and a defender. The ball landed at the feet of sophomore Jim Taranto, who put the ball away for the team’s first goal of 2006. Last season, Verdi was a major part of Lehigh’s defense that held the opposition to 11 goals and he was named to the Second Team All-Patriot League.
Next up on the Mountain Hawks schedule will be a road trip to Binghamton on Wednesday to face the Bearcats. Game time is set for 4:00 pm.
