Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh heads to Washington, D.C. to face American
3/25/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – On Saturday, March 27, the undefeated women’s lacrosse team will travel to Washington D.C. as they look to net another win and add to their impressive 8-0 record vs. the American University Eagles. The Mountain Hawks have matched the best start to a season in school annals and if victorious against the Eagles, it will mark the first time since the 1996 season that Lehigh begins Patriot League play with three consecutive victories.
Lehigh is heading into this match after an 11-9 win over UC Davis on Tuesday afternoon at home. The Mountain Hawks started out with a powerful 7-1 lead, but their challengers were able to make a comeback, and pulled to within 8-7 before Lehigh scored three more times to clinch the victory.
Sophomore Kelly Draper and junior Lauren Dykstra scored three goals apiece to lead the Mountain Hawks, while junior Allison Thomas led the squad with four ground balls and four draw controls. Reigning Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week, ML DiNisco, sent back nine shots in 60 minutes of work as she continues the strong start to her Lehigh career.
For the season, Lehigh has scored nearly twice as many goals as its opponents, with a combined 109-58 advantage on the scoreboard. Draper and Dykstra have both recorded over 30 points thus far having scored 22 and 26 goals, respectively. DiNisco has posted a 6.17 goals against average, which ranks among the national leaders, and she has made 42 saves in 320 minutes of action. Thomas has scooped up a team-leading 25 ground balls and sophomore Leigh Torcivia continues to pace the Mountain Hawks in draw controls (21) and caused turnovers (nine).
American is currently sitting in fourth place in the Patriot League standings as the Eagles have a 1-1 league mark. That league win the Eagles obtained was a nail-biting victory over Bucknell, 15-13, in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania on March 20.
Leading the way for AU this season on offense has been Lauren Schoenberger (13 goals, 10 assists), Amanda Makoid (17 goals, 22 points), Lisa Schaaf (13 goals) and Chiara Speziale (11 goals). The Eagles are led in ground balls by Emily Stankiewicz with 21 and in draw controls by Stankiewicz and Britt Ferguson with 21 each. Emma Larkin has caused a team-high ten turnovers and in goal the Eagles have used two goal keepers throughout the season with Kaska Konosinksi seeing the majority of the time (406 minutes, 58 saves) and Frankie Solomon stopping 38 shots in 199 minutes of work.
Lehigh and American are meeting for the 12th time on Saturday with the Eagles leading the series 8-3. The teams have split the last four meetings with Lehigh earning a 21-7 victory at home in 2009.
Lehigh will hit the field at 2 P.M. as it takes on the Eagles at Jacobs Field in the nation’s capital.
Story written by Matt Lazarus
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