Lehigh welcomes #13 Penn State for Wednesday night showdown
4/10/2012 4:59:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
BETHLEHEM, Pa - The Lehigh women's lacrosse team will continue its season-ending homestand Wednesday evening when it welcomes the #13 Penn State Nittany Lions. Opening draw is set for 7 p.m. at the Ulrich Sports Complex. The Mountain Hawks are seeking their second straight win after defeating New Hampshire, 11-8, on Saturday. Lehigh has won five of its last seven games overall, gaining momentum heading into the stretch run of regular season play.
Wednesday night will be a Summit Series game. Admission is FREE for Lehigh students, faculty and staff with a Lehigh ID. Tickets for general public are only five dollars and can be purchased in advance or on game night (cash only).
Seven Mountain Hawks scored goals against the Wildcats, led by freshman Carli Sukonik's three, in a balanced team effort. Senior Leigh Ann Torcivia had another strong all-around effort in contributing a goal, four assists and four draw controls to earn honorable mention laurels on the Patriot League weekly honor roll. Also impressing was junior goalie MaryLeah DiNisco, who posted a season-high 11 saves. DiNisco's eight goals allowed tied a season-low since taking over as the team's primary goalkeeper. She now has 62 saves in 10 games.
Torcivia continues to be among the team leaders in every category. The New Jersey native leads the team in points and assists, and is second in goals. She is one of three Mountain Hawks who have surpassed the 20-goal mark this season. Sukonik and junior Julie McBrien are the others.
Sukonik continues to lead the team in goals, now owning 36. She leads the team in shots, shot percentage and shots on goal. Sukonik is a major reason why Lehigh has outshot its opponents, 321-294, this season. Overall, she owns six-career hat tricks, including three in a row (scoring13 goals in that span).
#13 Penn State comes in with an 8-4 record, but has lost two straight, both against top-ranked squads - #4 Florida and #1 Northwestern. The Nittany Lions have enjoyed a strong season despite playing one of the nation's toughest schedules. The team has posted quality wins against #6 Virginia (14-7) and #8 Vanderbilt in overtime (12-11).
Penn State is led by a pair of freshmen in Tatum Coffey and Maggie McCormick. Coffey has already received rookie, conference and national weekly awards. Coffey's 27 goals lead the team while she's third in points. McCormick was a major factor in the win over Virginia as she recorded a game-high six points in that contest. Coffey also leads the team with 43 groundballs and 14 caused turnovers. Dana Cahill has played all but 21:33 in goal, owning a 9.97 GAA and 50.0 save percentage.
The Mountain Hawks have never beaten Penn State; the Nittany Lions hold a 20-0 edge in the series. Lehigh nearly upset Penn State last season before falling, 12-11. The Mountain Hawks also dropped a one-goal game in 2010 at the Ulrich Sports Complex, 14-13.
Lehigh returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Holy Cross for a big Patriot League showdown. Opening draw is set for 1 p.m.
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