Lehigh Winning Streak Snapped with 2-0 Loss to Boston U

Saturday, September 30

Bethlehem, Pa.

6 p.m.

Lehigh University

6-3-0, 1-1-0PL

Boston

3-6-1, 2-0-0PL

Team	1	2	Final F
Boston U.	1	1	2
LEHIGH	0	0	0

Lehigh Winning Streak Snapped with 2-0 Loss to Boston U

9/30/2017 9:10:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – An early goal off a penalty kick and an insurance tally in the second half proved to be enough for Boston University as they took down Lehigh by a score of 2-0 on Saturday night. The loss snapped the Mountain Hawks five match winning streak as they fall to 6-3 overall and 1-1 in the Patriot League on the season. Lehigh outshot Boston (3-6-1, 2-0 PL) by a 15-7 margin while each team registered four shots on goal. Lehigh held a 10-2 advantage in corner kicks and Boston committed 26 fouls to Lehigh's eight.

"We struggled to execute at all levels tonight and that's how this game goes sometimes," said head coach Dean Koski. "We got out of sync early and it felt like we were chasing the rest of the way. Our guys really fought hard to get a goal and we put forth a good effort. We did a lot of things right outside of scoring a goal."

Boston jumped on the board first in the eighth minute when Lehigh was whistled for a foul in the box on a free kick. Toti Knutsson took the ensuing penalty kick for Boston and buried it low in the left corner of the goal that gave BU an early 1-0 edge.

"I think the fouling took us out of our game," Koski said. "I mean, 26 fouls is a lot of fouls. We got frustrated by them and did not respond well to it, but that is something that we have to learn and grow from."

Lehigh nearly grabbed the equalizer midway through the half in the 22nd minute when Alex Greene took a shot from the top of the box that skidded just wide of the right post. With just over three minutes remaining in the half, Stevo Bednarsky centered a ball into the box towards the front, but was unable to connect with two teammates heading towards the goal.

After going into the half trailing 1-0, the Mountain Hawks once again nearly drew even in the 48th minute with back-to-back corner kicks. Green curved a ball in towards the net that ricocheted off the goalkeeper and hit the inside of the post before being cleared away.

Lehigh next grabbed an opportunity in the 72nd minute when Mark Forrest took a free kick from just outside the box, but Boston keeper Michael Bednardi made a leaping save to knock the ball over the top.

The Terriers answered by grabbing an insurance goal exactly two minutes later in the 74th minute. Mana Chvali took a pass at the top of the box from Toti Knutsson and sailed it into the top right corner past Will Smith to give BU the 2-0 advantage. Boston held off the Mountain Hawks over the final 17 minutes, holding the team to just two shot attempts the remainder of the game.

"I see tonight's game as a little bit of a wake up call for us and not so much a setback," Koski said. "We have been on a roll and we cannot just make the assumption that games are going to come easy just because we have been successful. We'll regroup and get our focus back."

All three of the Mountain Hawks' defeats this season have come via shutouts, while also outshooting their opponents in each of those games.

Lehigh will head out for a three game road trip beginning on Wednesday evening at Colgate.