Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh blanks Navy, wins seventh straight
9/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Bethlehem, PA – Although Saturday was senior night, a pair of freshmen and a pair of juniors combined for scores, as the Mountain Hawks blanked Navy 2-0 at the Ulrich Sports Complex on a blustery evening. Lehigh (11-2 overall, 4-1 Patriot League) has now won seven in a row, and the Mountain Hawks are 7-1 at home. With the loss, the Midshipmen are now 9-2-3 overall, and 2-2-1 in league play.
Freshman Elliot Leonard (East Rockaway, NY/Lawrence Woodmere) scored his first collegiate goal at 33:54 to give Lehigh a 1-0 lead. Freshman Kyle Hartman (Easton, PA/Moravian Academy) sent the ball in on a corner kick, and Leonard pushed it past Navy goalie Brian Steckroth with a head ball. Steckroth, who came into the match leading the nation in goals against average, made six saves on the night.
Clinging to a 1-0 lead with time winding down, Lehigh’s Evan Bruno (Middletown, NJ/Middletown North) scored his Patriot League-best ninth goal of the season to seal the Mountain Hawks’ win. Lehigh keeper Ryan Grzeszczak made five saves on the night, and is now tied with Steckroth for the league lead with eight shutouts on the season.
After the match, Lehigh Dean Koski was pleased with his team’s efforts. "Dan [Perciballi] played a great game, and Ryan [Grzeszczak] played one of his best games all year," Koski said. "Our seniors showed up and worked hard for the win. It couldn’t be more appropriate, coming on senior night."
At halftime, Lehigh honored the four seniors on the team: BJ Hodsdon, Travis Smith, co-captain Colin Marshall, and Ben Kline. Prior to the start of the match, Lehigh welcomed back several alumni, including former stars Andy Udell ’92 and Andy Mittendorf ’99. Both Andy & Andy were selected to the Patriot League All-Decade Team last year.
Lehigh’s win Saturday didn’t come without a price, however. Sophomore forward Doug Cusick rolled his ankle early in the first half. He was unable to play the rest of the night, and will be examined on Monday. After scoring the second half goal, junior Evan Bruno was pulled after separating a joint in his shoulder. He, too, will be examined Monday.
Lehigh returns to action and looks for its eighth in a row when the Mountain Hawks travel to State College to battle Penn State University. Kick off is set for 7:00 Wednesday from PSU’s Jeffrey Field.
Scoring
Team | 1 | 2 | Total |
Navy | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Lehigh | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Scoring Summary
Team | Goal | Assists | Time |
Lehigh | Elliot Leonard (1) | 33:54 |
Goalkeepers
Team | Goalkeeper | Saves | Goals Against |
Navy | Brian Steckroth | 4 | 2 |
Lehigh | Ryan Grzeszczak | 5 | 0 |
Shots on Goal
Team | 1 | 2 | Total |
Navy | 4 | 4 | 8 |
Lehigh | 4 | 4 | 8 |
Corner Kicks
Team | 1 | 2 | Total |
Navy | 3 | 3 | 6 |
Lehigh | 1 | 1 | 2 |
For more information, contact Jeff Tourial, Lehigh Sports Media Relations.
