Lehigh clashes with Holy Cross Saturday

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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh men's soccer team will look to extend its Patriot League unbeaten streak to three straight games on Saturday when Holy Cross visits the Ulrich Sports Complex at 1 p.m. After opening league play with a defeat against Colgate, the Mountain Hawks (4-5-2) responded with back-to-back shutouts against Lafayette (1-0) and Navy (0-0) to even their league record at 1-1-1.

Lehigh will be playing its second match of the week on Saturday following a 3-0 loss at the hands of No. 4 Maryland on Tuesday night. Lehigh stayed within a goal for 75 minutes and nearly tied the score against the Terrapins, but conceded two late tallies to give the visitors a three-goal victory. Senior Jonathan Nydell made five stops in goal and junior Joe Puleo led the way with three shot attempts on the night.

Ayo Olasupo 0291.jpg" />Puleo paces the team with eight points on four goals this season, while sophomore Austin Decker has four points on a pair of goals. Nydell owns 44 saves and a 1.05 goals against average in 11 starts between the posts. The senior has played 1,027 of a possible 1,030 minutes in goal this season and was named the Patriot League BRINE Goalkeeper of the Week on Monday. Nydell has allowed only one goal in three league matches in 2010.

Holy Cross (3-7-2) enters Saturday's match in search of its first league win after falling to Colgate and Lafayette and drawing with Bucknell. The Crusaders' Jon Werth ranks third in the Patriot League with 11 points on three goals and five assists. Werth's five helpers are good for the second-highest mark in the league behind American's Jamie Davin. Keeper Evan Polanik owns a league-best 63 saves and has three shutouts in 12 matches. In 22 previous meetings, the all-time series between Lehigh and Holy Cross is tied, 8-8-6. Lehigh defeated the Crusaders, 3-0, last season in Worcester, Mass.

Heading into the weekend, the Mountain Hawks are tied for third in the Patriot League standings with four points. Colgate and American are tied for first with nine points, while Bucknell and Navy are level with the Brown and White in a deadlock for third. Lafayette owns three points in sixth place, Holy Cross is positioned seventh with one point and Army is in eighth with zero points. The top four teams advance to the Patriot League Tournament on November 12.

Saturday's match will be the first game of a soccer doubleheader at the Ulrich Sports Complex. Following the men's game, the Lehigh women's team will also host Holy Cross starting at 4 p.m. Fans that can't make it on Saturday can watch both matches live on Lehighsports.com. Live stats will also be available for both games.

Completed Event: Men's Soccer versus #6 Lafayette on November 15, 2025 , Tie , 1, to, 1

Completed Event: Men's Soccer versus #4 Boston University on November 11, 2025 , Win , 1, to, 0

Completed Event: Men's Soccer versus Lafayette on November 4, 2025 , Tie , 1, to, 1

Completed Event: Men's Soccer at Colgate on October 31, 2025 , Tie , 0, to, 0

Completed Event: Men's Soccer at Boston University on October 25, 2025 , Win , 2, to, 0

Completed Event: Men's Soccer versus Seton Hall on October 21, 2025 , Loss , 1, to, 5

Completed Event: Men's Soccer versus Bucknell on October 18, 2025 , Win , 2, to, 1

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