Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh hosts Ivy League foe No. 19 Penn Tuesday
10/6/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
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The Mountain Hawks come into the matchup with a 4-3-2 record (1-0-1 in the Patriot League), after recording their first league win in
Lehigh goalkeeper Jonathan Nydell earned his second shutout of the season by stopping all five shots the Midshipmen fired on net. He was honored by the Patriot League as the goalkeeper of the week on Monday for his stellar performance over the weekend.
For Lehigh head coach Dean Koski, the shutout gives his entire defensive unit something to build off as the season wears on.
“It definitely gives the team confidence,” Koski said. They know that if they do the little things well, and they execute in the final third of the field, they can be much more effective.”
Lehigh isn’t the only team facing a quick turnaround for Tuesday’s game, as the Quakers are coming off an exciting 3-2 victory against Ivy League rival Cornell. Penn trailed the Big Red, 2-1, through 70 minutes of play, before scoring two goals in a 10-minute span in the second half. The late rally gave the Quakers their seventh win of the season and extended their unbeaten streak to 10 games to start the year.
“The challenge will be in the quick turnaround because we’ll only have one practice before the game,” Koski said. “But because they’re close by it just makes sense to play a Tuesday night game.”
This is the 54th meeting between Penn and Lehigh since 1915. The Mountain Hawks trail the overall series with a 16-33-4 record, but they have dominated the recent series. Lehigh holds an 8-1-1 record in the last 10 meetings between the two squads, with the lone loss coming at Penn in 2005.
The Quakers have been tough to beat in 2008, earning a 3-0-1 record against the Big East and beating American, the only other Patriot League opponent on their schedule. The Lehigh defense will be challenged to match its performance in
“More importantly than getting a win, we need to make sure we play well,” Koski said. “We’re looking at Penn as a way to sharpen things up for Patriot League play. We’re playing well, but we still have to get better at some things.”
Tune in to Lehighsports.com for live video coverage of Tuesday’s game. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. with Steve Lomangino providing the commentary.
