Photo by: Matt Smith
Mountain Hawks Set to Host Colgate in Patriot League Semifinals Friday
5/6/2021 10:37:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The No. 9 Lehigh men's lacrosse team is ready for its second season as the Mountain Hawks host Colgate in the Patriot League Semifinals on Friday at 4 p.m. at the Ulrich Sports Complex. With a perfect 8-0 league record, the Mountain Hawks are set to host the league semis and championship game for the first time since 2013. Following Lehigh's showdown with Colgate, Army West Point and Loyola will square off at 7 p.m. Both games can be seen live nation-wide on CBS Sports Network.
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Lehigh has advanced to 10 straight Patriot League Tournaments, the longest active streak in the league. The Mountain Hawks have advanced to five of the last eight championship games entering this season, winning titles in 2012 and 2013 before falling in the championship game in 2014, 2018 and 2019. Lehigh and Colgate have played in the 2013 and 2018 league tournaments – in the semifinals and quarterfinals –both Mountain Hawk victories.
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The Raiders advanced to the semifinals behind an 11-8 win at Boston University Tuesday. Colgate was trailing 7-4, but scored six straight second-half goals. The Raiders are now 3-6, but all of their defeats have been competitive, including a 13-11 loss at No. 11 Army West Point in the regular season finale.
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Lehigh is entering the postseason following its first loss of the season, 16-8 at No. 16 Villanova. The Wildcats jumped out to a 9-2 halftime lead and wouldn't look back. Two bright spots for the Mountain Hawks were graduate student Conor Gaffney and senior Teddy Leggett, who eclipsed 400 and 200 career groundballs, respectively. Junior Mike Sisselberger won 20-of-22 faceoffs with eight groundballs to earn Patriot League Faceoff Specialist of the Week for a fifth straight week and sixth time this season – a new league record. Sisselberger was named the league's Faceoff Specialist of the Year on Tuesday –Lehigh's second straight honoree (after Gaffney in 2019).
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Head coach Kevin Cassese was also named the Patriot League Coach of the Year for a second time (along with 2013, the last time the Mountain Hawks were the No. 1 overall seed). Seven Mountain Hawks in total were named All-Patriot League, with junior Tommy Schelling, sophomore John Sidorski and junior Anthony Tangredi being named to the first team.
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Lehigh and Colgate met in the regular season, with the Mountain Hawks winning, 15-10. After Lehigh took a 4-0 lead, the Raiders pulled even at five, but Lehigh answered with 10 of the next 12 goals to take a 15-7 lead. The Mountain Hawks have won six straight and 10 of the last 11 against the Raiders overall.
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Colgate has played in a number of competitive contests this year. The Raiders were 2-6 in the regular season, but three of the losses were four goals or fewer, two by five goals and one by six. Second team All-Patriot League honoree Brian Minicus leads Colgate in assists (21) and points (36) while Mike Hawkins is right behind with 18 goals and 11 assists for 29 points. Thomas Colucci won 16-of-22 faceoffs on Tuesday, which helped the Raiders to victory.
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Colgate leads the all-time series, 28-20, but the Mountain Hawks have won 10 of the last 11, beginning with the 2012 Patriot League Championship victory at Colgate. The teams have played in the postseason three times since 2012 (also 2013 in the semifinals and 2018 in the quarterfinals). Lehigh's 15-10 win over the Raiders this Mar. 28 was the Mountain Hawks' sixth straight win in the series. The last time the two teams played at Lehigh was more than three years ago in the aforementioned semifinals. Colgate won the first-ever meeting between the two schools in 1956. Lehigh's first win came in 1960 by an 8-6 final.
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If the Mountain Hawks win on Friday, they would advance to their third straight Patriot League Championship Game and face the winner of Loyola and Army West Point on Sunday at 12 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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Lehigh has advanced to 10 straight Patriot League Tournaments, the longest active streak in the league. The Mountain Hawks have advanced to five of the last eight championship games entering this season, winning titles in 2012 and 2013 before falling in the championship game in 2014, 2018 and 2019. Lehigh and Colgate have played in the 2013 and 2018 league tournaments – in the semifinals and quarterfinals –both Mountain Hawk victories.
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The Raiders advanced to the semifinals behind an 11-8 win at Boston University Tuesday. Colgate was trailing 7-4, but scored six straight second-half goals. The Raiders are now 3-6, but all of their defeats have been competitive, including a 13-11 loss at No. 11 Army West Point in the regular season finale.
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Lehigh is entering the postseason following its first loss of the season, 16-8 at No. 16 Villanova. The Wildcats jumped out to a 9-2 halftime lead and wouldn't look back. Two bright spots for the Mountain Hawks were graduate student Conor Gaffney and senior Teddy Leggett, who eclipsed 400 and 200 career groundballs, respectively. Junior Mike Sisselberger won 20-of-22 faceoffs with eight groundballs to earn Patriot League Faceoff Specialist of the Week for a fifth straight week and sixth time this season – a new league record. Sisselberger was named the league's Faceoff Specialist of the Year on Tuesday –Lehigh's second straight honoree (after Gaffney in 2019).
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Head coach Kevin Cassese was also named the Patriot League Coach of the Year for a second time (along with 2013, the last time the Mountain Hawks were the No. 1 overall seed). Seven Mountain Hawks in total were named All-Patriot League, with junior Tommy Schelling, sophomore John Sidorski and junior Anthony Tangredi being named to the first team.
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Lehigh and Colgate met in the regular season, with the Mountain Hawks winning, 15-10. After Lehigh took a 4-0 lead, the Raiders pulled even at five, but Lehigh answered with 10 of the next 12 goals to take a 15-7 lead. The Mountain Hawks have won six straight and 10 of the last 11 against the Raiders overall.
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Colgate has played in a number of competitive contests this year. The Raiders were 2-6 in the regular season, but three of the losses were four goals or fewer, two by five goals and one by six. Second team All-Patriot League honoree Brian Minicus leads Colgate in assists (21) and points (36) while Mike Hawkins is right behind with 18 goals and 11 assists for 29 points. Thomas Colucci won 16-of-22 faceoffs on Tuesday, which helped the Raiders to victory.
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Colgate leads the all-time series, 28-20, but the Mountain Hawks have won 10 of the last 11, beginning with the 2012 Patriot League Championship victory at Colgate. The teams have played in the postseason three times since 2012 (also 2013 in the semifinals and 2018 in the quarterfinals). Lehigh's 15-10 win over the Raiders this Mar. 28 was the Mountain Hawks' sixth straight win in the series. The last time the two teams played at Lehigh was more than three years ago in the aforementioned semifinals. Colgate won the first-ever meeting between the two schools in 1956. Lehigh's first win came in 1960 by an 8-6 final.
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If the Mountain Hawks win on Friday, they would advance to their third straight Patriot League Championship Game and face the winner of Loyola and Army West Point on Sunday at 12 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
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