Women's Soccer
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- erl210@lehigh.edu
- Phone:
- 610-758-4346
- Alma Mater:
- First Season
Eric Lambinus enters his third season as Lehigh’s head women’s soccer coach after leading the Mountain Hawks to their first-ever Patriot League Championship in 2010. Lambinus helped guide the program to its first NCAA Tournament where it hung tough against national power Virginia. He came to Lehigh on Feb. 2, 2010 from nearby Moravian College, where he enjoyed tremendous success as head women’s and men’s soccer coach over an 11-year span.
Lambinus made an immediate impact upon arrival, coaching the Mountain Hawks to an 11-5-4 record in 2010. Lehigh placed five on the All-Patriot League team, its most since 2005. Following a 1-0 loss to Army in their Patriot League opener, the Mountain Hawks responded by going undefeated over their final six league games. The momentum continued into the postseason where they defeated Bucknell for the second time before avenging their earlier loss to Army by beating the top-seed and host Black Knights in the Patriot League Championship Game.
The defense came up strong down the stretch, pitching shutouts in the regular season finale and each of the two Patriot League Tournament contests; the Mountain Hawks won each game, 1-0. Lambinus helped mold a defense which saw Jana Basubas and Genna Pepe, along with Ardyn Olszko, emerge as elite collegiate soccer players. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the 2010 squad was its team dynamic. The Mountain Hawks won nine different Patriot League weekly awards, coming from eight different players. In addition, seniors Natalie Hojnacki and Lauren Mains were each honored by College Soccer 360 as Primetime Performers of the Week - Hojnacki after a three-goal weekend in mid-October and Mains following her two shutouts at the Patriot League Tournament.
The Mountain Hawks also accomplished something they hadn’t since 2005, a spot in the NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Rankings, which they achieved in mid-October. Lehigh went a perfect 7-0-0 at home, good for its first-ever undefeated (and perfect) home slate.
Then in 2011, Lehigh posted a 6-9-2 record and 2-3-1 in Patriot League play. The season had its bright spots as the Mountain Hawks tied eventual league champion Army while beating Patriot League finalist Navy. Lehigh was in every game, with all six of its league contests finishing within a goal. Pepe and Murphee Greeley were each named First Team All-Patriot League performers while freshman goalie Ashley Blanks posted the fourth lowest goals against average in program history (1.14).
Lambinus’ student-athletes have impressed off the field as well. Two years ago, Liz Carlos and Natalie Hojnacki were named to the inaugural Academic All-Patriot League Team while Carlos and Glynn Fitzer were both Academic All-District honorees. Carlos was named to the First Team, making her eligible for Academic All-America status. Prior to the 2011 season, Basubas was one of 30 candidates nation-wide for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, which encompasses community, classroom, character and competition.
During his tenure leading the Moravian women, Lambinus led the Greyhounds to three NCAA Tournament appearances (2005, 2007, 2008) as well as the 2008 Landmark Conference Championship. His teams played in the Landmark and MAC Conference Championship Game three times and made four appearances in the MAC Commonwealth playoffs. Moravian was the 2003 ECAC Mid-Atlantic runner-up and won 123 games under Lambinus’ tutelage. From an individual standpoint, he developed one NSCAA All-American, one Academic All-American, eight All-Region selections, three conference Players of the Year and four conference Rookies of the Year.
Lambinus led the Moravian men to an appearance in the 2002 MAC Commonwealth Championship Game, four MAC playoff appearances and two appearances in the ECAC Mid-Atlantic Semifinals. In addition he produced a pair of Academic All-Americans and three All-Region selections.
While at Moravian, Lambinus also served as an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Education as well as the Athletic Department’s Academic Advisor.
Lambinus has previous coaching experience at Washington College (Chestertown, Md.) and ENCO Premiere Soccer Club and is currently the head boys soccer coach for FC Lehigh.
During his playing days at Moravian, Lambinus was a four-time All-Conference selection, a two-time All-Region honoree and a two-time Academic All-American. He also served as captain for two years and earned a pair of Team MVP awards. Following his collegiate experience, Lambinus spent four seasons with a professional club, the Reading Rage.
Prior to entering the coaching profession Lambinus worked as a tax consultant for Deloitte and Touche in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Lambinus graduated from Moravian College in 1994 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. He later earned his Master’s in Sport Management from East Stroudsburg University. Lambinus and his wife Cindy have two children, MacKenzie and Owen.
