Lehigh seeks Patriot League title on home turf
4/29/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Fresh off its first Patriot League regular season championship since 1994, the Lehigh women’s lacrosse team is set to host the league tournament for the first time in school history. The action will take place at the Ulrich Sports Complex as the No. 1 seeded Mountain Hawks host fourth seed Holy Cross in one semifinal on Friday, April 30, with No. 2 Navy meeting No. 3 Colgate in the other. The winners will then meet on Sunday afternoon in the 2010 Patriot League championship game.
Lehigh’s 13 wins this season are the second most in program history and the Mountain Hawks five Patriot League victories are the most in school annals.
The Mountain Hawks are currently seventh in the nation and second in the Patriot League in draw controls, averaging 14.31 per game. All-Patriot League selections Allison Thomas and Leigh Ann Torcivia are fifth in the league at 2.38 DCs per contest.
In each of the last three seasons Lehigh has scored at least 220 goals, including 221 this season. The Mountain Hawks scored a school record 233 goals in 2008, 224 in 2009, and this season they rank second in the Patriot League in goals scored. Six different players have scored at least 20 goals this season, led by Lauren Dykstra’s 51.
2010 Patriot League Coach of the Year Jill Redfern is in just her second season as Lehigh’s head coach, but she has been on the Mountain Hawks staff since 2005. During that time Redfern has helped lead the Brown and White to 55 victories, including 20 versus Patriot League foes, and five Patriot League Tournament appearances.
After being picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll, Holy Cross won three of its last four match-ups versus league schools to earn the fourth seed in the Patriot League Tournament. A pair of All-Patriot League selections in Katie Gardner (27 goals, 21 assists) and Kat Sutton (35 goals) lead the Crusaders in scoring, while Amy Martin, who was named the 2010 Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year leads the league in save percentage at 50.3%.
Along with Lehigh, Navy shared the 2010 Patriot League regular season championship and enters this weekend as the No. 2 seed. The Midshipmen are the Patriot League’s top scoring team averaging 15.4 goals per game and are led by Offensive Player of the Year Erin Rawlick who has 64 goals and 30 assists. Fellow All-League selection Danielle Vivonetto has found the back of the net 54 times herself.
The preseason favorite to win the league title, Colgate enters this weekend as the number three seed in the Patriot League. The Raiders currently rank first in the league in ground balls with 348 total, averaging 21.75 per game. Megan Lawler leads Colgate in scoring with 33 goals and 42 assists, while Colleen Bubnack and Courtney Miller lead the team in goals having both found the back of the net 34 times apiece.
The 2010 Patriot League Women’s Lacrosse Tournament will begin at 4:30 on April 30 as No. 2 Navy meets No. 3 Colgate at the Ulrich Sports Complex. The top-seeded Mountain Hawks will then take on No. 4 Holy Cross in the second semifinal beginning at 7:00. The semifinal winners will meet on Sunday, May 2 in the 2010 Patriot League championship game, beginning at 1:00.
Tickets for the tournament are $5 for adults and $3 for students and children. All tickets will be sold at the door on game day and all seating is general admission. One ticket is good for both semifinal games on Friday. Tickets will go on sale beginning 60 minutes prior to the Navy – Colgate tilt.
Patriot League Tournament Preview
