Lehigh University Athletics
Saturday, February 11
Jacksonville, Fla.
4 PM
Lehigh University
at
Jacksonville
Photo by: Brinn McClennan '17
Mountain Hawks head south for Saturday showdown at Jacksonville
2/10/2017 11:16:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
Game Notes |Â Listen Live (Free) | Live Stats
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Following a season-opening win over NJIT last Saturday, Lehigh heads south this weekend for its first-ever meeting at Jacksonville. Opening faceoff is set for 4 p.m. The Mountain Hawks look to continue the momentum from the 15-5 win, which saw four different players score multiple goals, and two players combine for three Patriot League weekly awards.
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Video will not be available for Saturday's game, but fans can listen to the game live, for free on 1010XL, 92.5 FM Jacksonville.
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Last Saturday, Seniors Matt Raposo and Ian Strain, and sophomores Andrew Pettit and Craig Chick each scored twice. The two goals for Chick were a career high after scoring one goal his entire freshman season. Chick added two groundballs and a caused turnover to earn Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honors. He helped lead a defense which held NJIT scoreless for the game's first 16:45, then again for a stretch of 11:00 between the second and third quarters before finally holding them without a goal for the last 17:06.
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Freshman Conor Gaffney impressed at the faceoff X, winning 19-of-22 draws with 16 groundballs to win Patriot League Faceoff Specialist and Rookie of the Week. The 19 faceoff wins were most by a Lehigh player since current assistant coach Will Scudder had 19 at Bucknell in 2009. The 16 groundballs were most by any player in Division I during opening weekend, and most by any Lehigh player in Kevin Cassese's 10 years as head coach. Gaffney helped the Mountain Hawks control possession, finishing with a 43-20 edge in shots. Lehigh fired 30 shots on NJIT goaltender Nick Marzullo.
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Leading returning goal scorer sophomore Tristan Rai did not score a goal, but did dish a career-high four assists. Pettit and Raposo also dished an assist for three points. Pettit's three points were a career high while Strain's two goals tied a career high. The Mountain Hawks caused six of NJIT's 11 turnovers, including one by sophomore Cody Triolo, who also had a goal and career-high tying three groundballs. Lehigh only turned the ball over 11 times itself while sophomore Chris Kiernan was strong in goal, stopping eight-of-13 shots sent his way.
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The Mountain Hawks began the game on a 5-0 run and eventually went up 9-2. The Highlanders scored three of the next five goals, spanning the end of the second to end of the third quarters, but Lehigh responded with a 4-0 run to end the game. The win was Lehigh's seventh in its last eight season openers as Cassese improved to 7-3 in season openers as Mountain Hawks' head coach.
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Lehigh begins a four-game road trip with Saturday's game at Jacksonville. The Mountain Hawks will head south again next weekend with a matchup at defending national champion North Carolina (Feb. 18). Lehigh quickly opens Patriot League play at Holy Cross (Feb. 25) and Colgate (Mar. 4) before finally returning home again on Saturday, Mar. 11 when it hosts Army West Point.
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Jacksonville is entering just its eighth year as a program, but has been extremely competitive over its first seven seasons. In its first season (2010), the Dolphins were 6-7, also going 8-5 in 2013. Jacksonville finished last season 3-10, beating Vermont (17-16), St. John's (8-7) and VMI (14-2). The team's leading scorer from last season returns in Shawn Ewert (31 points: nine goals, 22 assists). Jacksonville's third and fourth top scorers from last season return as well: Eric Applegate (23 points: 15 goals, eight assists) and Mitchell Parker (16 points: 14 goals, two assists). Tyler also tied for the team lead in caused turnovers (5) while the leader in groundballs, Hunter Forbes, returns. Forbes tallied 53 groundballs while winning 138-of-246 faceoffs (56.1 percent). Starting goaltender Ben Gleichenhaus had a 11.43 goals against average and 54.6 save percentage.
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Saturday will mark the first-ever meeting between Lehigh and Jacksonville.
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Following Saturday's game, the Mountain Hawks will continue their road trip next Saturday (Feb. 18) with a game at defending National Champion North Carolina. Opening faceoff is set for 1 p.m.
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Like Lehigh Men's Lacrosse on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Following a season-opening win over NJIT last Saturday, Lehigh heads south this weekend for its first-ever meeting at Jacksonville. Opening faceoff is set for 4 p.m. The Mountain Hawks look to continue the momentum from the 15-5 win, which saw four different players score multiple goals, and two players combine for three Patriot League weekly awards.
Â
Video will not be available for Saturday's game, but fans can listen to the game live, for free on 1010XL, 92.5 FM Jacksonville.
Â
Last Saturday, Seniors Matt Raposo and Ian Strain, and sophomores Andrew Pettit and Craig Chick each scored twice. The two goals for Chick were a career high after scoring one goal his entire freshman season. Chick added two groundballs and a caused turnover to earn Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honors. He helped lead a defense which held NJIT scoreless for the game's first 16:45, then again for a stretch of 11:00 between the second and third quarters before finally holding them without a goal for the last 17:06.
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Freshman Conor Gaffney impressed at the faceoff X, winning 19-of-22 draws with 16 groundballs to win Patriot League Faceoff Specialist and Rookie of the Week. The 19 faceoff wins were most by a Lehigh player since current assistant coach Will Scudder had 19 at Bucknell in 2009. The 16 groundballs were most by any player in Division I during opening weekend, and most by any Lehigh player in Kevin Cassese's 10 years as head coach. Gaffney helped the Mountain Hawks control possession, finishing with a 43-20 edge in shots. Lehigh fired 30 shots on NJIT goaltender Nick Marzullo.
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Leading returning goal scorer sophomore Tristan Rai did not score a goal, but did dish a career-high four assists. Pettit and Raposo also dished an assist for three points. Pettit's three points were a career high while Strain's two goals tied a career high. The Mountain Hawks caused six of NJIT's 11 turnovers, including one by sophomore Cody Triolo, who also had a goal and career-high tying three groundballs. Lehigh only turned the ball over 11 times itself while sophomore Chris Kiernan was strong in goal, stopping eight-of-13 shots sent his way.
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The Mountain Hawks began the game on a 5-0 run and eventually went up 9-2. The Highlanders scored three of the next five goals, spanning the end of the second to end of the third quarters, but Lehigh responded with a 4-0 run to end the game. The win was Lehigh's seventh in its last eight season openers as Cassese improved to 7-3 in season openers as Mountain Hawks' head coach.
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Lehigh begins a four-game road trip with Saturday's game at Jacksonville. The Mountain Hawks will head south again next weekend with a matchup at defending national champion North Carolina (Feb. 18). Lehigh quickly opens Patriot League play at Holy Cross (Feb. 25) and Colgate (Mar. 4) before finally returning home again on Saturday, Mar. 11 when it hosts Army West Point.
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Jacksonville is entering just its eighth year as a program, but has been extremely competitive over its first seven seasons. In its first season (2010), the Dolphins were 6-7, also going 8-5 in 2013. Jacksonville finished last season 3-10, beating Vermont (17-16), St. John's (8-7) and VMI (14-2). The team's leading scorer from last season returns in Shawn Ewert (31 points: nine goals, 22 assists). Jacksonville's third and fourth top scorers from last season return as well: Eric Applegate (23 points: 15 goals, eight assists) and Mitchell Parker (16 points: 14 goals, two assists). Tyler also tied for the team lead in caused turnovers (5) while the leader in groundballs, Hunter Forbes, returns. Forbes tallied 53 groundballs while winning 138-of-246 faceoffs (56.1 percent). Starting goaltender Ben Gleichenhaus had a 11.43 goals against average and 54.6 save percentage.
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Saturday will mark the first-ever meeting between Lehigh and Jacksonville.
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Following Saturday's game, the Mountain Hawks will continue their road trip next Saturday (Feb. 18) with a game at defending National Champion North Carolina. Opening faceoff is set for 1 p.m.
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Like Lehigh Men's Lacrosse on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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Players Mentioned
D/LSM
/ Men's Lacrosse
M/FO
/ Men's Lacrosse
G
/ Men's Lacrosse
M
/ Men's Lacrosse
A/M
/ Men's Lacrosse
A
/ Men's Lacrosse
A
/ Men's Lacrosse
M
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