Lehigh University Athletics
Mountain Hawks prep for tough PL test Saturday
10/23/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Riding a two-game win streak the Lehigh men’s soccer team will hit the road Saturday for a game with the American Eagles at 3 p.m. Lehigh (7-5-2, 2-2) is currently tied for third place in the Patriot League standings and tomorrow’s match will be key for the Mountain Hawks in their push for the post season.
Lehigh is coming off a big 3-0 road win over league rival Holy Cross last Saturday night. Lehigh received goals from sophomores Daniel Odenwelder and Neal Melchionni. Junior James Graf also added a goal and for his great performance last week he was not only honored by the Patriot League as Defensive Player of the Week, but also the ECAC. Graf got the game-winning goal against NJIT last Tuesday which was the first of his career.
American (8-3-1) heads into tomorrow’s action on a seven-game unbeaten streak. The Eagles stand alone at the top of the Patriot League standings as the only undefeated team with a 4-0 record. American is coming off a 1-0 victory over Navy last weekend which was sophomore goalkeeper Matt Makowski’s third shutout of the season. The Eagles are led by junior Daniel Shannon who has four goals on the season and preseason Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year senior Cooper Bryant.
“American is clearly on a roll and with a 4-0 record in the league they have unofficially established themselves as the team to beat,” head coach Dean Koski said. “They’re a good team offensively and defensively and they have a lot of confidence. It will certainly be a good challenge.”
The Eagles hold the all-time series lead 8-3-2 including victories in the last two matches. After the big victory last weekend, Koski and the Mountain Hawks are feeling confident heading into the weekend.
“The win against Holy Cross on the road helped in our preparation this week,” Koski said. “We’ve had a good week of training and we’re well rested and relatively healthy for this time of the year. If we defend well and stay organized we will be in the game.”
Fans make sure to check back to Lehighsports.com for all of the latest news and notes surrounding this weekend’s game.
