Lehigh opens five game road trip in Philadelphia
9/25/2008 4:30:00 PM | Field Hockey
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – With the start of Patriot League play now just over a week away, Lehigh is set to embark on its longest road trip of the season as the Mountain Hawks will play their next five games on the road, spread over the next three weekends. League play begins a week from Saturday at Colgate, but this weekend, Lehigh will head towards Philadelphia, with match-ups against La Salle on Friday and Villanova on Sunday.
Last weekend, Lehigh wrapped up a string of five-out-of-six games at home with a 3-1 loss to Rider on Saturday. Junior Kelly Fox scored a goal for the fourth time in five games, but the Mountain Hawks were unable to overcome to early Bronc goals, as they fell to 3-4 on the season.
Fox continues to lead Lehigh with six goals and 12 points through the team’s first seven games. The Mountain Hawks have enjoyed some offensive balance so far this season, as seven different players have scored goals and nine different players have at least one point. Senior Kara Zweizig and junior Lindsey Smith lead the team in assists with three assists, while freshman Madison Ingal has provided a spark off the bench with three goals this season.
Defensively, sophomore Taryn Hartzell has been strong playing as a sweeper in the back. Hartzell ranks among the national leaders with five defensive saves. In the goal cage, sophomore keepers Jessica Miller and Lilia Stefaniwsky have each seen extensive time, and have combined to make 60 saves in seven games.
Lehigh’s road trip begins Friday against a La Salle team that is currently 3-6 on the season. The Explorers are coming off a 5-0 win over Bryant on Tuesday. Senior Maria Allegretto and junior Colleen Lechner share the team lead with four goals and eight points. Sophomore Emma Ruth has started all nine games in the cage and owns a 2.27 goals-against average. The Mountain Hawks picked up a 3-1 victory over the Explorers last season at the Ulrich Sports Complex.
On Sunday, Lehigh heads to the Main Line to take on a Villanova team that has begun the season with an impressive 8-1 record. The Wildcats defeated Penn 2-1 on Wednesday and already own wins over Rider and La Salle, as well as Patriot League member Bucknell. Sophomore Dana Ramsden is off to a strong start offensively with seven goals and 17 points. Villanova has outscored its opponents 20-6 in nine games, with Maura McCormick owning a 0.67 goals-against average in the cage. The Wildcats have won ten straight games over Lehigh, including a 5-2 triumph last year in Bethlehem.
Action gets underway for Lehigh on Friday, when the Mountain Hawks face La Salle at 4 p.m. at Hank DeVincent field. Sunday’s Lehigh-Villanova tilt gets underway at 1 p.m. from Villanova Stadium.
