Hojnacki's late goal leads Lehigh to first win
8/31/2008 2:15:00 PM | Women's Soccer
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – With Lehigh and Albany minutes away from overtime, junior Natalie Hojnacki scored her first goal in almost two years to propel the Mountain Hawks to their first victory of the season, 1-0 Sunday afternoon at the Ulrich Sports Complex. Hojnacki’s goal helped Lehigh overcome a sluggish first half performance as the Mountain Hawks finish the opening weekend of their season at 1-1, while Albany falls to 1-2.
Hojnacki delivered the game’s only goal in the 89th minute, when she redirected home a centering feed from freshman Corrine Parkinson, who beat the Great Dane defense and brought the ball into the far side of the 18-yard box.
“We came out with a lack of energy in the first half and were very complacent,” said head coach Manny Oudin. “In the second half, our team approach was much better, and we got good minutes out of some players who hadn’t been given many opportunities, but stepped up and certainly made the most of their opportunities.”
Lehigh dominated statistically in the second half, out-shooting Albany 16-1 in the second 45 minutes. The Mountain Hawks finished with a 24-7 advantage in shots and a 4-1 edge in corner kicks. Hojnacki fired a team high six shots while freshman Ali MacLeod registered five and sophomore Glynn Fitzer added four.
Sophomore Lauren Mains made five saves, including a point blank stop of a Diana Barrera breakaway in the second half to earn her first career solo shutout. Cate Crenson did her best to keep Albany in the game, with eight saves.
The Mountain Hawks will return to action on Friday when they head to Davidson, N.C. to take part in the Davidson Tournament. Lehigh will face the host Wildcats Friday night at 7 p.m.