Wednesday, September 29
Bethlehem, Pa.
7 p.m.
Lehigh University
0-8-1, 0-3-0PL
0
vs
1
Bucknell
3-5-1, 1-1-1PL
1
2
3
F
Bucknell
0
0
1
1
Lehigh
0
0
0
0
Photo by: Justin Lafleur
Lehigh drops heartbreaking 1-0 overtime final to Bucknell
9/29/2021 11:20:00 PM | Men's Soccer
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Able to keep the game scoreless through the first 93 minutes and change, a 94th minute strike and score for Bucknell in the overtime period stunned the Lehigh men's soccer team as the Bison prevailed for the 1-0 final Wednesday evening at the Ulrich Sports Complex on Disc Golf Night.
With the heartbreaking defeat, the Mountain Hawks (0-8-1, 0-3-0 PL) are winless through their first nine games for the first time in nearly 83 years, when Lehigh didn't earn its first win until the 10th and final contest of the 1938 campaign.
"It's getting harder for us to see the positives but I'll tell you that in order to have success with a team, you need to have your experienced players to play well," said The Ingrassia Family Men's Head Soccer Coach Dean Koski. "And we didn't have anyone in that category play well for us tonight. And when you don't have your difference makers and special players do what they're able to do, perform at the level they are capable of performing at, it's hard to win.
"I'll tell you that we played OK soccer tonight. But not nearly good enough to win and not good enough to get a result and it's really frustrating right now for our players and our coaching staff and I'm feeling for them. But right now, I don't have immediate answers in front of me. We're stuck right now and is something we need to figure out."
After a scoreless first half of play, Bucknell had been out-shooting Lehigh, 5-4 while both sides failed to register a shot on goal through the first 45 minutes. The Mountain Hawks' best chance of the half occurred in the 42nd minute when Natan Rosen's shot sailed wide.
Rosen started the second half the way he finished the first with a shot that went high in the 55th minute and Euan Forrest recorded Lehigh's first shot on goal in the 58th, saved by Bennett Schwartz to keep the match at 0-0.
Trevor Koski had a header chance off a Dominic Flowers corner kick that was saved by the Bucknell keeper in the 68th minute, while the Bison responded with a header chance of their own in the 75th, a shot that was unbelievably saved by sophomore goalkeeper Blake Koski. Looking to put the Bison out in front with little to no time on the clock, Jordan Miller had a chance saved by Koski in the 88th minute.
Josh Luchini nearly put the Ulrich faithful into a frenzy with his shot that went just wide of the net with 11 seconds left on the clock, but instead, forced OT for the second time this season so far.
Lehigh didn't have an opportunity to get its offense going at all in the overtime period as the Bison put two shots on the board in a span of six seconds in the 94th minute, eventually pushing through the golden goal in the 95th, a game-winner for Patriot League-leading goal scorer Jordan Miller off the header assist of Patrick O'Hara off a cross from Eddie Perez-Pelaez.
Bucknell out-shot Lehigh, 10-8 including 3-2 on shots on goal during the game, while the Mountain Hawks had the edge in corner kicks, 3-2. The Bison out-fouled Lehigh, 11-5 with a yellow card on MJ Kuczura in the 12th minute.
Looking to break out of a slump, Lehigh welcomes Army West Point to the Ulrich Sports Complex on Saturday night at 6 p.m., streamed live on ESPN+. The Black Knights are 6-2-1 overall with a 3-0-0 Patriot League record to start the 2021 season, most recently defeating Boston U., 2-0 on Wednesday night.l
"If we keep doing the same things we've been doing, then shame on us," said Koski. "So we have to make changes, but the challenge with that is that we're in the middle of the season. Whenever you change personnel, lineups or systems, you're almost starting over. But at this point, we need to take risks. We thought we took some of those risks tonight, playing some players that were more attack-oriented, but it didn't work for us."
Like Lehigh Men's Soccer on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
With the heartbreaking defeat, the Mountain Hawks (0-8-1, 0-3-0 PL) are winless through their first nine games for the first time in nearly 83 years, when Lehigh didn't earn its first win until the 10th and final contest of the 1938 campaign.
"It's getting harder for us to see the positives but I'll tell you that in order to have success with a team, you need to have your experienced players to play well," said The Ingrassia Family Men's Head Soccer Coach Dean Koski. "And we didn't have anyone in that category play well for us tonight. And when you don't have your difference makers and special players do what they're able to do, perform at the level they are capable of performing at, it's hard to win.
"I'll tell you that we played OK soccer tonight. But not nearly good enough to win and not good enough to get a result and it's really frustrating right now for our players and our coaching staff and I'm feeling for them. But right now, I don't have immediate answers in front of me. We're stuck right now and is something we need to figure out."
After a scoreless first half of play, Bucknell had been out-shooting Lehigh, 5-4 while both sides failed to register a shot on goal through the first 45 minutes. The Mountain Hawks' best chance of the half occurred in the 42nd minute when Natan Rosen's shot sailed wide.
Rosen started the second half the way he finished the first with a shot that went high in the 55th minute and Euan Forrest recorded Lehigh's first shot on goal in the 58th, saved by Bennett Schwartz to keep the match at 0-0.
Trevor Koski had a header chance off a Dominic Flowers corner kick that was saved by the Bucknell keeper in the 68th minute, while the Bison responded with a header chance of their own in the 75th, a shot that was unbelievably saved by sophomore goalkeeper Blake Koski. Looking to put the Bison out in front with little to no time on the clock, Jordan Miller had a chance saved by Koski in the 88th minute.
Josh Luchini nearly put the Ulrich faithful into a frenzy with his shot that went just wide of the net with 11 seconds left on the clock, but instead, forced OT for the second time this season so far.
Lehigh didn't have an opportunity to get its offense going at all in the overtime period as the Bison put two shots on the board in a span of six seconds in the 94th minute, eventually pushing through the golden goal in the 95th, a game-winner for Patriot League-leading goal scorer Jordan Miller off the header assist of Patrick O'Hara off a cross from Eddie Perez-Pelaez.
Bucknell out-shot Lehigh, 10-8 including 3-2 on shots on goal during the game, while the Mountain Hawks had the edge in corner kicks, 3-2. The Bison out-fouled Lehigh, 11-5 with a yellow card on MJ Kuczura in the 12th minute.
Looking to break out of a slump, Lehigh welcomes Army West Point to the Ulrich Sports Complex on Saturday night at 6 p.m., streamed live on ESPN+. The Black Knights are 6-2-1 overall with a 3-0-0 Patriot League record to start the 2021 season, most recently defeating Boston U., 2-0 on Wednesday night.l
"If we keep doing the same things we've been doing, then shame on us," said Koski. "So we have to make changes, but the challenge with that is that we're in the middle of the season. Whenever you change personnel, lineups or systems, you're almost starting over. But at this point, we need to take risks. We thought we took some of those risks tonight, playing some players that were more attack-oriented, but it didn't work for us."
Like Lehigh Men's Soccer on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
Team Stats
BUCKNELL
LEHIGH
Goals
1
0
Shots
10
8
Shots on Goal
3
2
Saves
2
2
Corners
2
3
Fouls
11
5
Scoring Plays
Miller, Jordan
Assisted By: O'Hara, Patrick , Perez-Pelaez, Eddie
GOAL by BUCKNELL Miller, Jordan (FIRST GOAL), Assist by O'Hara, Patrick and Perez-Pelaez, Eddie.
94:08
Game Leaders
Shots
2
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
2
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
2
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Players Mentioned
D/M
/ Men's SoccerD
/ Men's Soccer
GK
/ Men's Soccer
M
/ Men's SoccerF
/ Men's SoccerM/F
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