Strong start not enough in 5-1 loss at Lafayette

Saturday, October 25

Easton, Pa.

12:00 pm

Lehigh University

(4-12, 1-4PL)

Lafayette

(6-9, 2-4PL)

Lehigh

Lafayette

Strong start not enough in 5-1 loss at Lafayette

10/25/2014 3:02:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

EASTON, Pa. - The Lehigh field hockey team took a 1-0 lead just over one minute into the game, but Lafayette scored a late first-half goal to take a lead it wouldn't relinquish as the Mountain Hawks fell 5-1 on Saturday afternoon. Sophomore Gabby Tofig scored her team-leading eighth goal of the season while classmate Julia Ward made nine saves in goal. Lehigh returns home next weekend after almost a month away by hosting Bucknell on Saturday and La Salle on Sunday to wrap up the season.

The Mountain Hawks pressured from the get-go and turned the game's first shot into a 1-0 lead. From the corner of the circle, sophomore Amanda Granger fired the ball to Tofig stationed near the left post. The sophomore finished the redirection to give Lehigh the early momentum.

The Leopards also scored on their first shot as Kelsey Mead scored from the top of the circle to even the score at the 11:16 mark.

The next chance for either side came at 18:35 when junior Zoey Pacheco fired a shot off a penalty corner, which Lafayette goalie Jessica Deutsch stopped. Lafayette increased its pressure as the first half progressed. In the 33rd minute, Ward made a pair of saves in succession, but she couldn't stop a chance off the ensuing penalty corner as the Leopards took a 2-1 lead at the half.

Ward made two more saves within the first minute of the second half, but Lafayette goals at 37:18 and 43:48 made it 4-1. The Leopards added a goal at 56:11, but Lehigh kept clawing, looking to get back into the game. The Mountain Hawks generated three penalty corners over the final seven minutes, but couldn't pull any closer.

Final shots were 18-7 in favor of Lafayette while the Leopards held an 8-4 edge in penalty corners. Ward finished with nine saves while Deutsch made two for Lafayette.

Lehigh will return home next weekend to host Bucknell next Saturday (2 p.m.) and La Salle on Sunday (1 p.m.) as the Mountain Hawks wrap up their season.

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