Lehigh kicks off PL Tournament vs. Bucknell on Friday
11/5/2010 12:38:00 AM | Women's Soccer
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The third seeded Lehigh women's soccer team begins a quest for its first-ever Patriot League Championship on Friday when it faces Bucknell in the league semifinals in West Point, N.Y. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Playing in its first Patriot League Tournament since 2006, the Mountain Hawks look to advance to the championship game for the first time since 2004.
Earlier in the day, No. 1 seed Army will host No. 4 Colgate at 4 p.m. The winners will meet in the Patriot League Championship Game on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Mountain Hawks are coming off a strong 9-4-4 regular season, 4-1-2 in league play, and return to the site of their only Patriot League loss of the regular season. After dropping a heartbreaking 1-0 final to Army on Oct. 1, Lehigh bounced back with a six-game unbeaten streak in league play. The Mountain Hawks went 4-0-2, including wins over Colgate, Bucknell, Holy Cross and Lafayette along with ties at Navy and American.
This marks the fifth Patriot League Tournament appearance in program history, to go with appearances in 1994, 2004, 2005 and 2006. The Mountain Hawks are vying for their first-ever league championship and NCAA Tournament appearance.
Lehigh topped the Bison earlier this season, 2-1. Junior Jana Basubas and senior Natalie Hojnacki accounted for the offense while the defense allowed only six total shots. It marked Lehigh's fifth win over Bucknell in its last eight games.
The Mountain Hawks enter the postseason following a 1-0 win over Lafayette in the regular season finale. Basubas scored the game's only goal in the 69th minute to break a scoreless deadlock, while junior Genna Pepe made a sensational defensive play in the final minute to preserve the shutout. She was later honored for her efforts by being named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in the last three weeks.
It's been a week of honors and awards for the Mountain Hawks, including five All-League performers (Basubas, Pepe, Liz Carlos, Glynn Fitzer, Ardyn Olzko), two All-Academic Team members (Carlos, Natalie Hojnacki) and two Academic All-District honorees (Carlos, Fitzer).
Lehigh is one of two regionally ranked teams in the Patriot League Tournament. Army is fifth while the Mountain Hawks come in 10th. Lehigh is in the NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Poll for a third straight week since cracking the poll on Oct. 20 for the first time since 2005.
After a 1-10-0 start to the season, Bucknell has bounced back with a vengeance, going 6-2-0 in its last eight games, including 5-2 in league play. The Bison are led by Christa Matlack with 17 points behind seven goals and three assists. Caitlin Holtz has 11 (four goals, three assists), while Kelliann Doherty has 10 (three goals, four assists). Sandita McDermott has started 16 of 19 games in goal, posting a 1.70 GAA and .778 save percentage.
Friday will mark the 21st time all-time meeting with the Bison leading, 11-8-2. Lehigh is 5-2-1 in the last eight meetings, which includes the 2-1 regular season victory. The teams have met once in the Patriot League Tournament, with Bucknell advancing via penalty kicks in 2005.
Should the Mountain Hawks win on Friday, they'd face either No. 1 Army or No. 4 Colgate on Sunday with the Patriot League Championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line. Lehigh defeated Colgate, 3-1, earlier this season while dropping a 1-0 final in overtime against the Black Knights.
Live stats and video will be available all weekend long through Patriot League All-Access.
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