BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh men’s soccer team hits the road for its farthest trip of the season, traveling to Columbia, South Carolina for the adidas Gamcock Classic this weekend. The Mountain Hawks will play South Carolina on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Presbyterian on Sunday at noon.
While previous road games with Princeton and Fordham were simple day trips, the trip to Columbia will require airplanes and hotels instead of busses. The team departed from Lehigh Valley International Airport for Columbia on Thursday. Lehigh head coach Dean Koski said the extra distance will actually be a blessing for the Mountain Hawks.
“The traveling part really is the positive part because when you have your team away from campus it forces them to spend time together,” Koski said. “It really helps the team become much closer.”
Lehigh heads to Columbia with a 3-0-1 record, after earning a win and a draw on the road at Princeton and Fordham, respectively. The Mountain Hawks have moved up one spot regionally, earning the No. 3 ranking in the Mid-Atlantic region, and they earned votes to be in the NSCAA/adidas top 25 for the second-consecutive week.
While the travel should bring the team closer together, the competition on the field will present serious challenges for the Mountain Hawks.
“I think it’s going to be a tough weekend,” Koski said. “Both teams have some pretty special players. We’re certainly going to have our work cut out for us.”
South Carolina comes into the weekend with a 3-2-1 record after dropping consecutive contests against No. 12 North Carolina and No. 1 Wake Forest. The Gamecocks will have home-field advantage for the tournament and will be looking to return to the form that earned a 3-0-1 record to open the season.
This will be the second meeting between the Mountain Hawks and Gamecocks all time. The teams first met in 2000, with South Carolina holding on for a 3-2 win in Columbia.
Presbyterian will have the shortest distance to travel, coming from Clinton, South Carolina, for the tournament. The Blue Hose is coming off a tough 3-0 loss to Georgia State on September 6, and enter the weekend with a 1-2-1 record. Sunday will be the first meeting between Lehigh and Presbyterian in history.
The Gamecocks and Blue Hose met in Columbia on September 1, and the two squads played to a 1-1 draw. South Carolina and Presbyterian will both play Jacksonville, the fourth team in the tournament and the only squad Lehigh will not face over the weekend.
