BETHLEHEM, Pa. – After missing the Patriot League Tournament last season, Lehigh (11-5-1) has had a bounce-back season in 2017, with a Patriot League postseason berth already secured with one game left to play. The Mountain Hawks have experienced a resurgence of offensive prowess as they lead the league and rank among the nationally leaders in offensive production. Lehigh has been led in large part by its two top forwards, Mark Forrest and Doyle Tuvesson, who have elevated their games to new heights in 2017.

When Forrest opened the season with a hat trick in a 3-2 win over two-time defending MAAC Champion Rider, it was an early indication of things to come for him and the team in 2017. Lehigh has scored three or more goals on seven different occasions this season after scoring three goals only once in 2016, while Forrest has gone on to record four multi-goal games on the year.

Forrest and Tuvesson have always been Lehigh’s top offensive weapons since putting on the Brown and White uniform. This year, they have put together banner campaigns and compiled some of the best numbers by a Lehigh player in nearly two decade.

With 38 and 20 points, respectively, Forrest and Tuvesson both have doubled their point production from last season. Forrest went from seven goals to 15, and four assists to eight. Tuvesson has nearly tripled his assist total, going from four assists last season to 10 this season. The duo has combined for over half of the team’s offense, combining for 58 of the team’s 101 points.

Forrest is the fourth different Mountain Hawk to reach the 30-point mark since 1990 and the first to achieve that feat since Evan Bruno (42) and Doug Cusick (33) did so in 2000. Forrest’s 15 goals this season are the most by a Lehigh player since Bruno’s 18 tallies in 2000. With two more assists this season, the junior forward could become just the second player in the Patriot League era to reach double-figures in both goals and assists in the same season (Andrew Mittendorf – 19 g, 10a in 1997).

Tuvesson has cemented himself as one of the best set-up men for Lehigh in the last 25 years. The senior’s 10 assists rank as the highest single-season total since Andrew Casey compiled 11 assists in 2000. Tuvesson is also the fifth Mountain Hawk to reach double-digit assists in the Patriot League era, joining Casey (11, 2000), Gus Zangrilli (11, 1998), Kevin Jackson (15, 1997), Andrew Mittendorf (10, 1997).

Forrest and Tuvesson have both risen to the top of the national statistical rankings this season. When the NCAA released its rankings on Monday, October 30, it was Forrest’s name that appeared next to the No. 1 spot in Division I with his 38 points. The junior is also second in points per game (2.24), tied for second in goals (15), fourth in goals per game (0.88), tied for fifth in assists (8) and is one of six players with 30-plus points this season. Tuvesson has compiled the third-most assists this season while ranking fourth in assists per game (0.63) and is one of five players who has 10-plus assists on the year.

Forrest is also one of two players (Jon Bakero – Wake Forrest) this season who rank in the top-five in both goals and assists.

Due to the success of Lehigh’s two top forwards, the Mountain Hawks have had one of the most-productive seasons since the turn of the century and rank as one of the top offenses nationally in 2017. Lehigh is tied for the 11th-most goals per game (2.06) in Division I this season, while tied for the sixth-most total goals (35), tied for the ninth-most points (101) and has compiled the 11th-most assists. This is the first Lehigh team to average 2.00 goals per game or more since the 2000 team and is the third Lehigh team since 2000 to reach 100 points for the season (137 – 2000, 100 – 2006).

At the Patriot League level, it goes without saying that Lehigh’s dynamic duo leads the league in all major offensive categories this season, but by season’s end, they will also rearrange the names in the league record book. Forrest currently has the fourth-most single-season points in league history and is tied for the fifth-most single-season goals, while Tuvesson needs one more assist to crack the top-five for most the assists in a season.

Forrest is well on his way to securing the league’s goal-scoring title for the second time in his career, making it the 12th time a Lehigh player has led the league in goals. He has already cemented himself in fifth place on the career points list with 82 and is tied for sixth in career goals with 33.

Tuvesson ranks sixth in league history for career assists with 24 and needs one more to crack the top-five. If he maintains his lead in assists at season’s end, he will become the sixth Lehigh player to capture the single-season assist title.

Lehigh has reaped the benefits of the offensive outpouring from its tandem up top, reversing a 7-10-1 record last season to a 11-5-1 record this season. Their offensive prowess has made the Mountain Hawks a threat to win any game this season and has allowed the team the luxury of remaining in contention no matter how steep the deficit. Through 17 games this season, Lehigh has produced 10 multi-goal games and has won six games by two or more goals. In 2016, the Mountain Hawks scored just one goal per game in 10 of their 18 contests, had 14 games decided by one goal and suffered seven one-goal losses.

Lehigh will close out the regular season with a league matchup at Holy Cross on Saturday. The Mountain Hawks have already a secured a quarterfinal home game and could potentially bypass the quarterfinals with a bye depending on how the final games shake out this weekend. The Brown and White are returning to the Patriot League postseason for the third time in four years and are in pursuit of its third title after winning it all in 2015 and 2000.

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