Lehigh University Athletics
Saturday, February 12
Newark, N.J.
11:30 a.m.
Lehigh University
at
NJIT
Photo by: Hannahally Photography
No. 14 Mountain Hawks Open Season at NJIT Saturday
2/11/2022 2:04:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The 14th-ranked Lehigh men's lacrosse team is set to open the 2022 season at NJIT on Saturday. Gametime is set for 11:30 a.m. in Newark, N.J. The Mountain Hawks are coming off an impressive 2021 campaign which saw Lehigh finish undefeated against Patriot League opponents and earn the league's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament.
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Saturday's game can be seen live, for free, on AmericaEast.TV.
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Last season marked the third NCAA appearance in head coach Kevin Cassese's tenure, and the second in which the Mountain Hawks were seeded (Lehigh was the No. 8 seed and faced Rutgers while in 2012, the Mountain Hawks were the seventh seed and hosted Maryland). Lehigh loses some key players from last year's team, but does return a large contingent, including its entire starting attack and most of its starting defense. Perhaps most importantly, the Mountain Hawks return Mike Sisselberger at faceoff and James Spence in goal, who were both named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List on Thursday. Sisselberger was also tabbed the first team All-American faceoff specialist by all major outlets. Spence is a graduate student, as is Teddy Legget, who was named an honorable mention preseason All-American by Inside Lacrosse Media.
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The Mountain Hawks were picked second in the Patriot League preseason poll, trailing Loyola and ahead of Army West Point in what should be a highly-competitive league slate in 2022. Last season, Lehigh was the No. 1 seed and was set to host the Greyhounds in the Patriot League Championship Game, but a positive COVID-19 test among Loyola's tier 1 personnel led to the game's cancellation. While Lehigh will open the season Saturday, its regular season finale will be at Loyola on Apr. 29.
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Lehigh and NJIT are set to square off for a seventh straight season, with all games coming in February. Each has been the Mountain Hawks' season opener, except 2020.
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NJIT is 0-1 early on the year following a 19-9 loss at No. 16 Delaware last Saturday. Arthur Miller led the Highlanders with three goals while Gage Adams added two. NJIT finished last season 1-10 with its win coming at UMass-Lowell by a 14-10 final. Five players finished 2021 with double-figure points, and they all return in 2022. Leading the way was Collin Fogerty, who tallied 26 points via 15 goals and a team-leading 11 assists. Owen Corry led the Highlanders with 19 goals. Lynch Raby returns after tallying 20 groundballs and a team-leading 17 caused turnovers. Also returning is goaltender Liam Brown, who posted a 52.9 save percentage and 14.14 goals against average.
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Lehigh has won all six all-time meetings against the Highlanders, coming in each of the last six seasons. Last year, the Mountain Hawks won, 24-10, behind a nine-goal first-quarter and 15-goal first half. Saturday will mark just the second meeting in New Jersey, the other coming in 2020 (a 17-8 Mountain Hawks' victory). The first-ever meeting was on Feb. 6, 2015 - a 21-4 Lehigh win.
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Following Saturday's opener, the Mountain Hawks remain on the road next Saturday when they travel to Hobart for a 12 p.m. opening faceoff.
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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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Saturday's game can be seen live, for free, on AmericaEast.TV.
Â
Last season marked the third NCAA appearance in head coach Kevin Cassese's tenure, and the second in which the Mountain Hawks were seeded (Lehigh was the No. 8 seed and faced Rutgers while in 2012, the Mountain Hawks were the seventh seed and hosted Maryland). Lehigh loses some key players from last year's team, but does return a large contingent, including its entire starting attack and most of its starting defense. Perhaps most importantly, the Mountain Hawks return Mike Sisselberger at faceoff and James Spence in goal, who were both named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List on Thursday. Sisselberger was also tabbed the first team All-American faceoff specialist by all major outlets. Spence is a graduate student, as is Teddy Legget, who was named an honorable mention preseason All-American by Inside Lacrosse Media.
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The Mountain Hawks were picked second in the Patriot League preseason poll, trailing Loyola and ahead of Army West Point in what should be a highly-competitive league slate in 2022. Last season, Lehigh was the No. 1 seed and was set to host the Greyhounds in the Patriot League Championship Game, but a positive COVID-19 test among Loyola's tier 1 personnel led to the game's cancellation. While Lehigh will open the season Saturday, its regular season finale will be at Loyola on Apr. 29.
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Lehigh and NJIT are set to square off for a seventh straight season, with all games coming in February. Each has been the Mountain Hawks' season opener, except 2020.
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NJIT is 0-1 early on the year following a 19-9 loss at No. 16 Delaware last Saturday. Arthur Miller led the Highlanders with three goals while Gage Adams added two. NJIT finished last season 1-10 with its win coming at UMass-Lowell by a 14-10 final. Five players finished 2021 with double-figure points, and they all return in 2022. Leading the way was Collin Fogerty, who tallied 26 points via 15 goals and a team-leading 11 assists. Owen Corry led the Highlanders with 19 goals. Lynch Raby returns after tallying 20 groundballs and a team-leading 17 caused turnovers. Also returning is goaltender Liam Brown, who posted a 52.9 save percentage and 14.14 goals against average.
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Lehigh has won all six all-time meetings against the Highlanders, coming in each of the last six seasons. Last year, the Mountain Hawks won, 24-10, behind a nine-goal first-quarter and 15-goal first half. Saturday will mark just the second meeting in New Jersey, the other coming in 2020 (a 17-8 Mountain Hawks' victory). The first-ever meeting was on Feb. 6, 2015 - a 21-4 Lehigh win.
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Following Saturday's opener, the Mountain Hawks remain on the road next Saturday when they travel to Hobart for a 12 p.m. opening faceoff.
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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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