Lehigh University
Saint Francis (Pa.)
Mountain Hawks shut out Saint Francis, 3-0
9/17/2008 7:30:00 PM | Field Hockey
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Behind its most complete team effort of the season Lehigh picked up its second straight victory as the Mountain Hawks blanked Saint Francis 3-0 Wednesday night at the Ulrich Sports Complex. The Mountain Hawks led 1-0 at the break and answered a second half Red Flash surge with two late goals as Lehigh picks up its first shutout in nearly three years and improves to 3-3 on the season.
“I’m pleased that we were able to finish strong,” said Lehigh head coach Julie Mazer. “We stayed composed defensively and withstood a flurry of corners in the second half. Our goalkeepers both did a really good job while they were in there. With our back line so young it’s nice to see them play with so much composure. I’m pleased with the result and we’ll go forward from here.”
Junior Lindsay Smith put Lehigh up 1-0 with a superb individual effort, dribbling past Red Flash defenders in the circle and sliding the ball under goalkeeper Erin Reifsteck for her first goal of the season.
Lehigh held on to the 1-0 lead for much of the second half, but had to withstand a string of Saint Francis corners and chances. The Mountain Hawks were able to tack on two insurance goals in the final three minutes, as freshmen Caitlin Donnelly and Madison Ingal added unassisted tallies to account for the final score.
The Mountain Hawks out shot Saint Francis 18-12 and enjoyed a 7-4 edge in penalty corners. Lehigh’s goalkeepers split time in the cage, with sophomore Lilia Stefaniwsky making one save in the first half and classmate Jessica Miller making four stops in the second 35 minutes.
The shutout was Lehigh’s first since a 1-0 win over Lafayette on September 30, 2005.
Saint Francis falls to 1-5 with the setback.
Lehigh returns to the turf on Saturday when the Mountain Hawks host Rider. Game time is set for 5 p.m. and all the action can be seen on Lehighsports.com with streaming powered by Yahoo! Sports College Broadcast.
