Lehigh Narrowly Defeated by Ball State 5-4 in Iowa City

Saturday, September 5

Iowa City, Iowa

11:00 AM

Lehigh University

(1-2, 0-0)

Ball State

(2-1, 0-0)

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Ball St.	1	1	0	3	5
Lehigh	2	0	1	1	4

Photo by: Cliff Jette

Lehigh Narrowly Defeated by Ball State 5-4 in Iowa City

9/5/2026 1:02:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Lehigh field hockey played its second game on the campus of the University of Iowa this weekend on Saturday morning against the Ball State Cardinals. The Mountain Hawks and Cardinals combined for nine goals in an entertaining 5-4 win for Ball State.

Lehigh (1-2) got the scoring started midway through the first quarter when junior Carly Smith scored an unassisted goal to give the Mountain Hawks an early lead. Ball State (2-1) responded with a goal from Emalene Harter before junior Jordyn Pepper scored two minutes later to put Lehigh ahead 2-1 at the end of the first quarter. The Cardinals tied the game a few minutes into the second quarter, sending the game to the locker room knotted at 2-2.

Junior Kristina Johnson lifted the Mountain Hawks to a 3-2 early in the third quarter when she scored off an assist from Smith. Lehigh held onto the lead until Ball State found an equalizer with under ten minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Two minutes later, the Cardinals went in front off the stick of Lauren Lewis who scored again with under four minutes remaining to put Ball State up 5-3. Johnson put another in the back of the cage for Lehigh with under a minute remaining, but it was all little too late.

Johnson led the Mountain Hawks offensively with three shots and two goals. Pepper and senior Gracen Brant each logged two shots, Smith finished the game with a goal and an assist while first year Lauren Koomans and junior Riley Thurston each recorded one shot.

Senior goalkeeper Kate Burgess made three saves in the loss.

The Mountain Hawks return to Ulrich Field on Friday, September 11 at 4 p.m. to take on Saint Joseph's.