Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh hits road for matchup with No. 10 Maryland
10/13/2008 12:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer
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Lehigh has come away with at least one point in its last four games, recording wins against Navy and No. 19 Penn, as well as draws with Lafayette and Holy Cross. The 0-0 draw with Holy Cross on Saturday moved the team’s record to 5-3-3 (1-0-2) on the season.
“I don’t think it’s hard for our guys to get up for a game like this,” head coach Dean Koski said. “They also realize that we’re playing a great team. This will be our toughest challenge yet.”
Sophomore center back James Graf anchored a defense that has given up just one goal in the last three matches, and he was awarded for his efforts on Monday when the Patriot League named him its Defensive Player of the Week. Jonathan Nydell recorded his third clean sheet of the season against the Crusaders, and his second in three games for the Mountain Hawks, which helped him earn honorable mention for Goalkeeper of the Week in the Patriot League.
Graf and the defense will be facing a tough challenge in containing the Terrapins’ high-powered offense. While the Mountain Hawks have held opponents to 1.68 goals per game in 2008,
The other challenge facing the Mountain Hawks on Tuesday will be heading into the hostile Ludwig Field, where
“I think it’s a very tough environment,” Koski said. “The fans are very involved behind the goal, and they will be very vociferous on Tuesday. It will be very different from any place we see in the Patriot League.”
For the second-straight week, Koski’s team will be taking on a ranked non-league foe in a mid-week matchup. After pulling out a dramatic 2-1 victory in double overtime against No. 19 Penn on October 7, the Mountain Hawks will be looking to make some more noise against a high-profile opponent on Tuesday.
“Hopefully it makes us better prepared for our Patriot League games,” Koski said. “If you play the best, you can learn a lot about your strengths and your weaknesses.”
Fans can tune in to Lehighsports.com for a live audio broadcast of the game from
