Lehigh University Athletics
Strunk named PL Defensive Player of the Year, two others named All-League
11/9/2010 9:49:00 PM | Men's Soccer
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh men's soccer junior Kevin Strunk was named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year on Tuesday while two other Mountain Hawks were also named to the All-League Team. Strunk was a first team honoree while becoming Lehigh's second straight Defensive Player of the Year. Sophomore Austin Decker and senior James Graf cracked the second team.
Strunk follows Adam Welch as Lehigh's second straight Defensive Player of the Year. He's helped spearhead a defense which has allowed only 16 goals on the season, second fewest in the Patriot League and fewest among league tournament qualifiers. He has started all 17 games this season while leading the team in minutes played. He has also racked up three assists, which is tied for the team lead.
The junior from Downingtown, Pa. was named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 4. He played a huge role in Lehigh's first win over Lafayette since 2006, making a game-saving play in the 80th minute. He cleared a shot off the goal line to preserve the shutout and help Lehigh to its first Patriot League win.
Decker has been a catalyst for the Mountain Hawks' offense, tied for second on the team with three goals while coming in third with seven points. His goals have come at key moments; he scored the only goal at Furman and vs. Lafayette in 1-0 victories. He also scored the game-tying goal vs. American as part of a crucial 2-1 victory.
Graf wraps up his career with three straight All-League selections. Despite missing some games due to injury, he has still made a tremendous impact on the 2010 squad. He's played in 12 of the 17 games, scoring three goals while anchoring a defense which has only allowed 16 goals in 16 games this season and 34 over its last 34. Graf is a three-time Defensive Player of the Week, including this Sept. 20 following his selection to the All-Tournament Team at the College of Charleston Tournament.
Lehigh's three All-League honorees are tied for third most in the Patriot League.
The Mountain Hawks look ahead to Friday's Patriot League Semifinal matchup against No. 3 American. Lehigh enters as the No. 2 seed following a 4-2-1 record in league play. The winner will face either Colgate or Bucknell in the Patriot League Championship Game on Sunday at 1 p.m. with the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line. The Mountain Hawks are looking to make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2006.
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