Lehigh University Athletics
Mountain Hawks kick off preseason practice
8/18/2013 10:43:00 PM | Women's Soccer
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Lehigh women's soccer team kicked off preseason practice this weekend as the Mountain Hawks prepare for their season opener against Monmouth on Aug. 29. Lehigh enters the 2013 campaign with high hopes after winning its final three regular season games a season ago to advance to its second Patriot League Tournament in the last three years.
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"It's been great. Our players did a really good job over the summer," said fourth-year head coach Eric Lambinus. "Our upperclassmen had a great spring and our freshmen are starting to assimilate really well. I know they're all excited to be here, starting to work together as a team."
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"We've come out with a lot of energy, and just to play again is really nice," said senior All-Patriot League performer Murphee Greeley. "A lot of the work that we do over the summer is about everything other than playing. You have this lull when you're just training. You're get some touches here and there, but to come out and be with all the girls is really exciting."
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The Mountain Hawks welcome seven freshmen to a squad that returns six seniors, five juniors and seven sophomores. A season ago, Lehigh stood 0-4 in Patriot League play following a tough 2-1 loss at Army. However, the Mountain Hawks bounced back in a big way to beat Bucknell (2-1 in overtime) eventual league champion Colgate (1-0) and Holy Cross (4-0) to sneak into the fourth spot in the Patriot League Tournament.
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Lehigh stood tied with Navy at the half in the Patriot League Semifinals, but the Midshipmen pulled away in the second.
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"Putting some good soccer together at the end of last season helped propel us into the spring," said Greeley. "We had a really good spring season. That momentum carried forward and left everyone off on a good note going into the summer to keep working hard and keep doing the things we had worked on a couple months prior."
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The Mountain Hawks' five leading scorers all return led by Greeley, a two-time All-Patriot League honoree, who had 14 points (six goals, two assists). All three goalkeepers return, each playing at least 343 minutes. Sophomore Ani Nahapetian started the final five games of the season, holding an 88 save percentage over the final four regular season games.
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"We have an upperclassmen base," said Lambinus. "We have seen improvements and we continue to build on that. We work harder on a daily basis, we have more urgency. Our practices have actually gotten a little bit shorter because they've been better. There have been a lot of really good things that we've seen."
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Lehigh kicks off the season in 11 days by hosting Monmouth at 7 p.m. The Mountain Hawks then travel to Villanova on Sunday (Sept. 1) before welcoming Central Connecticut State the following Sunday.
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