Lehigh set to battle American in season finale
10/30/2008 4:00:00 PM | Field Hockey
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh wraps up the 2008 season Friday night against the American Eagles, in a game that will be played on Lafayette’s Rappolt Field, due to the facility upgrades that have begun at the Ulrich Sports Complex. For the second straight game, and the third time this season, the Mountain Hawks will tackle a nationally ranked foe, as the Eagles, who have already clinched their sixth straight Patriot League regular season title, come into Friday’s game ranked 19th in the nation.
On Tuesday night, Lehigh kept things close with Drexel for 35 minutes, before the 15th-ranked Dragons erupted for five goals in the second half en route to a 7-2 victory. Sophomore goalkeeper Lilia Stefaniwsky turned made a career-high 18 saves on the night, while sophomore back Lauren Cawley produced the offense for Lehigh with a pair of goals on strikes off of penalty corners, giving her four on the season and three in the Mountain Hawks’ last two games.
Lehigh’s offense finally awakened in its last league game, as the Mountain Hawks scored three goals and nearly overcame an early 4-0 deficit in a loss to Holy Cross last Saturday. A Mountain Hawks win would stop a ten game slide, and help Lehigh avoid its first winless Patriot League season since 2003.
The task will not be easy for Lehigh, with No. 19 American having clinched the league’s regular season title. The Eagles will be looking to win their sixth straight tournament title next week and bring a 40 game Patriot League winning streak (regular season and tournament) into Friday’s game. Senior Irene Schickhardt is American’s top scorer, with 13 goals and 32 points this season. Christine Fingerhuth, Anne-Meike DeWiljes and Savannah Graybill have chipped in to give the Eagles four players with at least ten points this season.
The Mountain Hawks have never beaten the Eagles, as American has won the first nine meetings, including wins in the 2004 and 2005 Patriot League semifinals. American defeated Lehigh by a 6-1 score last year in Washington.
Game time is set for 8 p.m. from Rappolt Field, located on Lafayette’s Metzgar Fields Athletic Complex in Forks Township.
