Thursday, September 1
Newark, Del.
7 p.m.
Lehigh University
2
at
2
Delaware
Lehigh's Second-Half Offensive Surge Leads to 2-2 Tie With Delaware
9/1/2022 9:49:00 PM | Women's Soccer
NEWARK, Del. - A surge of offensive urgency and second-half goals from senior Julianna Bonner and sophomore Corinne Lyght led to a 2-2 tie between Lehigh and Delaware on Thursday night. The Mountain Hawks outshot the Blue Hens 16-9 to secure their second tie with Delaware in series history.Â
"I think Delaware's a super gritty team, they have some great players, they're well-coached so getting a tie on the road is a big deal, especially going down twice and then being able to fight back," said head coach Lauren Calabrese. "We're pleased in the sense that we are moving in the right direction."
Delaware took the lead early in the first half with a goal from Raychel Speicher in the 12th minute. With a 1-0 lead, the Blue Hens continued to put pressure on the Lehigh defense, putting up three more shots in the first half.Â
First-year goalkeeper Maggie Ousouljoglou collected her first save of the game in the 20th minute off of a Delaware free kick just outside the 18-yard-box.Â
The Mountain Hawks switched the pace of the game, putting up three shots in the final ten minutes of the first half. Junior Wendie Fisher entered the game for Lehigh, shooting a rocket from outside the 18 that hit the post and went right into the hands of Delaware goalkeeper Mia Reed.Â
Lehigh opened up the second half with a surge of aggression on offense. In the 51st minute, first-year Sophia Lis crossed the ball into the six-yard box, leading to a header from Bonner to tie the game at one.Â
"We have a lot of dynamic, attacking personalities so I think like any team it takes time for them to figure out what works and to find their chemistry," Calabrese said. "We know we're good in the final third and in the air so Bonner, her timing was good. We really want her to get out and we're working on that, to get her in on the backside. A really great delivery from Sophia."Â
Senior Mattie Murphy launched a shot from just outside the 18-yard box in the 64th minute but Delaware's goalkeeper, Reed made the jumping save to keep the game tied at 1-1. As the second half continued, both teams alternated possession, taking shots but ultimately failing to find the back of the net.Â
With ten minutes left to play, Delaware's leading scorer Sara D'Appolonia scored the Blue Hens second goal of the game to take the 2-1 lead.Â
Down 2-1, Lehigh showed no signs of backing down as the Mountain Hawks continued to pressure the Blue Hens offensively. In the 84th minute, Emma Roesing sent a cross into the six, from just outside the 18. Lyght found her way under the ball, heading it into the back of the net to score the final goal of the game and secure the 2-2 tie.Â
"We know Corrine has that ability and being year two for her, it's not a surprise to anyone so I think she's a player that can find ways to score and it was an awesome goal, great service by Emma Roesing but I'm just excited for her to continue to develop and grow," Calabrese said.Â
The Mountain Hawks led the Blue Hens 10-6 in shots on goal but Delaware's goalkeeper finished with eight saves compared to Ousouljoglou's four.Â
"We came out of the game with 16 shots and we also scored two goals from being down so generating offense and putting the game away is a really important piece," said Calabrese. "Another piece that is critically important is to continue to defend as an 11 behind the ball. Not just the back line but really emphasizing having our attacking players track back and really work to win it."Â
Lehigh will travel to Philadelphia to take on Penn on Sunday. Opening kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.Â
"I think Delaware's a super gritty team, they have some great players, they're well-coached so getting a tie on the road is a big deal, especially going down twice and then being able to fight back," said head coach Lauren Calabrese. "We're pleased in the sense that we are moving in the right direction."
Delaware took the lead early in the first half with a goal from Raychel Speicher in the 12th minute. With a 1-0 lead, the Blue Hens continued to put pressure on the Lehigh defense, putting up three more shots in the first half.Â
First-year goalkeeper Maggie Ousouljoglou collected her first save of the game in the 20th minute off of a Delaware free kick just outside the 18-yard-box.Â
The Mountain Hawks switched the pace of the game, putting up three shots in the final ten minutes of the first half. Junior Wendie Fisher entered the game for Lehigh, shooting a rocket from outside the 18 that hit the post and went right into the hands of Delaware goalkeeper Mia Reed.Â
Lehigh opened up the second half with a surge of aggression on offense. In the 51st minute, first-year Sophia Lis crossed the ball into the six-yard box, leading to a header from Bonner to tie the game at one.Â
"We have a lot of dynamic, attacking personalities so I think like any team it takes time for them to figure out what works and to find their chemistry," Calabrese said. "We know we're good in the final third and in the air so Bonner, her timing was good. We really want her to get out and we're working on that, to get her in on the backside. A really great delivery from Sophia."Â
Senior Mattie Murphy launched a shot from just outside the 18-yard box in the 64th minute but Delaware's goalkeeper, Reed made the jumping save to keep the game tied at 1-1. As the second half continued, both teams alternated possession, taking shots but ultimately failing to find the back of the net.Â
With ten minutes left to play, Delaware's leading scorer Sara D'Appolonia scored the Blue Hens second goal of the game to take the 2-1 lead.Â
Down 2-1, Lehigh showed no signs of backing down as the Mountain Hawks continued to pressure the Blue Hens offensively. In the 84th minute, Emma Roesing sent a cross into the six, from just outside the 18. Lyght found her way under the ball, heading it into the back of the net to score the final goal of the game and secure the 2-2 tie.Â
"We know Corrine has that ability and being year two for her, it's not a surprise to anyone so I think she's a player that can find ways to score and it was an awesome goal, great service by Emma Roesing but I'm just excited for her to continue to develop and grow," Calabrese said.Â
The Mountain Hawks led the Blue Hens 10-6 in shots on goal but Delaware's goalkeeper finished with eight saves compared to Ousouljoglou's four.Â
"We came out of the game with 16 shots and we also scored two goals from being down so generating offense and putting the game away is a really important piece," said Calabrese. "Another piece that is critically important is to continue to defend as an 11 behind the ball. Not just the back line but really emphasizing having our attacking players track back and really work to win it."Â
Lehigh will travel to Philadelphia to take on Penn on Sunday. Opening kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.Â
Players Mentioned
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