Mountain Hawks head to Lafayette for Saturday showdown
10/21/2011 2:30:00 PM | Field Hockey
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Lehigh field hockey looks to continue its success on Saturday when it travels to Lafayette to face the archrival Leopards at 12 p.m. The Mountain Hawks come in at 2-1 in Patriot League play, riding a two-game winning streak and winners of three of their last four overall.
In addition to the game will be a special Lehigh-Lafayette alumni contest, which will begin promptly at 9 a.m. Alumni from both sides will square off before the current team hits the field at noon. In addition, there will be a tailgate following the noon showdown, which alumni are encouraged to attend.
After a slow start to the season, Lehigh has turned its momentum around by winning two straight, three of its last four and four of its last seven to enter the weekend with a 5-11 record, 2-1 in Patriot League play. The Mountain Hawks could clinch a Patriot League Tournament berth with a win on Saturday or a Colgate win at Holy Cross.
Much of Lehigh's recent success in the past few games has come from stellar play by sophomore goalkeeper Sierra Segear. Segear recorded her first career-shutout against Bucknell with 15 saves, which earned her Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week laurels for the third time. Senior Abby Tilton and Junior Kim Eng have led the squad offensively, as Eng has 22 points (nine goals, four assists) while Tilton has 17 (six goals, five assists), including the game's only goal against the Bison. The defense has stood tall as well, led by sophomore Marie Mignogna who has a team-leading eight defensive saves.
Lafayette enters with an 8-6 record, 3-0 in Patriot League play. The Leopards have defeated Colgate (5-0), Bucknell (5-3) and Holy Cross (5-0), scoring five goals in each contest. Deanna DiCroce leads the way offensively with 24 points (nine goals, six assists) while Kelsey Mead has 17 (seven goals, three assists). Aimee Smith (six goals) and Emily Valeo (three goals, six assists) each have 12. Kara Kish has seen the majority of time in goal, posting a 1.77 GAA and .679 save percentage.
The Leopards own a 32-12-3 all-time advantage against the Mountain Hawks, which includes winning each of the last six matchups. Lehigh had won two in a row, in 2004 (4-2) and '05 (1-0) before the Leopards responded. The teams first met back in 1973 and have played every year since, including multiple times in a number of seasons. Lehigh's biggest success against the Leopards came from 1983-86 when it won four in a row and six-of-seven against its archrival.
Lehigh wraps up its regular season at Holy Cross next Saturday, Oct. 29.
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