Friday, August 24
Bethlehem, Pa.
7 p.m.
Lehigh University
(0-1)
0
vs
1
Lock Haven
(1-0)
1
2
F
Lock Haven
0
1
1
Lehigh
0
0
0
Lehigh hangs tough in 1-0 defeat vs. Lock Haven in season opener
8/24/2018 10:08:00 PM | Field Hockey
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Junior goalkeeper Paige Innarella was stellar in the cage, making a career-high 14 saves to keep the Lehigh field hockey team in the game until the final whistle as the Mountain Hawks dropped a slim 1-0 final to Lock Haven on Friday evening. The offense had a multiple glittering scoring chance, but couldn't convert.
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"We knew this game was going to be tough," said Lehigh head coach Caitlin Dallmeyer. "Lock Haven returned all of their players from last year. It was a challenging game last year and we knew they had a good freshman class coming in. We prepared really well. I thought our scouting report was strong and thought we were prepared for Lock Haven's strong attack and speed of this game."
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The Bald Eagles held a 12-3 edge in first-half shots, but Innarella shut the door, making five saves in the game's first 17:40. A few minutes later, Lehigh nearly turned its first penalty corner into the game's first goal as sophomore Lenke Havas' initial shot was blocked. Sophomore Amanda Boyer and freshman Leah Mullery followed with successive shots on goal, but Lock Haven goalkeeper Brianna DeAngelis denied both opportunities.
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Innarella made three additional saves the rest of the half while senior Isabel McKeown made a defensive stop to keep the game scoreless at the half.
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The second half saw increased opportunities, including each team having what initially appeared to be a goal ruled no goal. Lock Haven was able to break the ice at the 43:42 mark as Alyscia Smith made a long pass to Taryn Piano by the left corner, who finished to give the Bald Eagles a 1-0 lead.
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The Mountain Hawks' best chance the rest of the way came in the final minute. Stationed near the end line, sophomore Maddie Monahan centered to freshman Mauri Ware whose point-blank shot was denied by DeAngelis, all but clinching the win for Lock Haven. Â Â
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"Overall, we made a lot of progress from our scrimmages until today," said Dallmeyer. "We made a lot of adjustments. Our corner unit was very sound. I was really happy with our defense overall, gaining some momentum and moving up the field with their outlets and being able to stay in the play consistently. We made some great steps forward, so we're excited for this to be the starting point [of the 2018 season]."
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Final shots were 23-6 in favor of Lock Haven while the Bald Eagles held a 10-1 edge in penalty corners.
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"Paige has been doing great and she is bringing a lot of leadership to the back line," said Dallmeyer. "That has helped us tremendously, giving us good energy moving forward. When she makes a great save, it energizes everybody. She did that a lot tonight. I'm proud of her and her progress, and I'm excited to see how she continues throughout the season."
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The Mountain Hawks return to action Sunday when they host Sacred Heart at 4 p.m.
Like Lehigh field hockey on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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"We knew this game was going to be tough," said Lehigh head coach Caitlin Dallmeyer. "Lock Haven returned all of their players from last year. It was a challenging game last year and we knew they had a good freshman class coming in. We prepared really well. I thought our scouting report was strong and thought we were prepared for Lock Haven's strong attack and speed of this game."
Â
The Bald Eagles held a 12-3 edge in first-half shots, but Innarella shut the door, making five saves in the game's first 17:40. A few minutes later, Lehigh nearly turned its first penalty corner into the game's first goal as sophomore Lenke Havas' initial shot was blocked. Sophomore Amanda Boyer and freshman Leah Mullery followed with successive shots on goal, but Lock Haven goalkeeper Brianna DeAngelis denied both opportunities.
Â
Innarella made three additional saves the rest of the half while senior Isabel McKeown made a defensive stop to keep the game scoreless at the half.
Â
The second half saw increased opportunities, including each team having what initially appeared to be a goal ruled no goal. Lock Haven was able to break the ice at the 43:42 mark as Alyscia Smith made a long pass to Taryn Piano by the left corner, who finished to give the Bald Eagles a 1-0 lead.
Â
The Mountain Hawks' best chance the rest of the way came in the final minute. Stationed near the end line, sophomore Maddie Monahan centered to freshman Mauri Ware whose point-blank shot was denied by DeAngelis, all but clinching the win for Lock Haven. Â Â
Â
"Overall, we made a lot of progress from our scrimmages until today," said Dallmeyer. "We made a lot of adjustments. Our corner unit was very sound. I was really happy with our defense overall, gaining some momentum and moving up the field with their outlets and being able to stay in the play consistently. We made some great steps forward, so we're excited for this to be the starting point [of the 2018 season]."
Â
Final shots were 23-6 in favor of Lock Haven while the Bald Eagles held a 10-1 edge in penalty corners.
Â
"Paige has been doing great and she is bringing a lot of leadership to the back line," said Dallmeyer. "That has helped us tremendously, giving us good energy moving forward. When she makes a great save, it energizes everybody. She did that a lot tonight. I'm proud of her and her progress, and I'm excited to see how she continues throughout the season."
Â
The Mountain Hawks return to action Sunday when they host Sacred Heart at 4 p.m.
Like Lehigh field hockey on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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Team Stats
LHU
LEHIGH
Goals
1
0
Shots
23
6
Shots on Goal
16
4
Saves
4
15
Corners
10
1
Offsides
0
0
Fouls
0
0
Scoring Plays
PIANO, Taryn (1)
Assisted By: SMITH, Alyscia
Made long pass to left corner and 20 tip
43:42
Game Leaders
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Players Mentioned
M
/ Field HockeyD/M
/ Field Hockey
GK
/ Field Hockey
D/M
/ Field Hockey
D/M
/ Field HockeyM/F
/ Field HockeyF/M
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