BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Riding three straight victories, the Lehigh women's soccer team opens Patriot League play on Saturday when the Mountain Hawks host Holy Cross at 5 p.m. Last weekend, Lehigh beat a pair of quality foes, tying Monmouth on Friday then beating Saint Joseph's on Sunday. The Mountain Hawks also defeated Temple in overtime the Sunday prior. Lehigh looks to take that momentum and win its Patriot League opener for a second straight season.
 
Lehigh fell behind 1-0 early against Saint Joseph's Sunday, but freshman Sabrina Mertz responded with the next two goals. The first came later in the first half, converting a tough-angle shot from near the corner kick flag. She knocked home a rebound early in the second half to give the Mountain Hawks their first lead. Sophomore Grace Correll scored her first goal of the season in the 69th minute to make it 3-1. That insurance goal proved crucial as Saint Joseph's pulled within 3-2, but couldn't pull all the way back.
 
Through seven games, the Mountain Hawks own a 4-2-1 overall record with their only losses coming by a single goal at Marist (in overtime) and La Salle. Mertz leads the team, and Patriot League, in points with 14 behind six goals and two assists. The Orefield, Pa. native has four more points than anyone else in the league. Junior Laura Courtney is second on the team with eight points via three goals and two assists while junior Tori Pantaleo and freshman Clare Severe are tied for third with five points apiece. As a team, Lehigh leads the league in scoring with 21 goals; Navy is second with 17.
 
Mertz was named the Patriot League's Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, becoming Lehigh's first freshman to win a Player of the Week honor since Gina Lewandowski in 2003. Senior Ani Nahapetian was also recognized with honorable mention laurels after a weekend which included a career-high 12 saves vs. Monmouth and another six stops against Saint Joseph's. She owns a 1.40 GAA and .804 save percentage for the season.
 
Holy Cross is 2-4-1 so far this season with wins over UMass Lowell and Saint Peter's, and a tie vs. Siena. Christina Callahan leads the team with three goals while Courtney Cohen owns a team-leading four assists. They're both tied for the team lead with six points. Aly Spencer has five points (two goals, one assist) while Sarah Price owns four (two goals). A pair of goalkeepers have split time between the pipes. Brooke Holle has a 2.00 GAA and .636 save percentage in 359:38 while Emma Gurchiek owns a 2.42 GAA and .529 save percentage in 298:08.
 
The Crusaders earned a hard-fought 1-0 win to end last season, increasing their all-time series lead to 13-9-1. However, Lehigh was undefeated over its previous four games against the Crusaders (3-0-1). In the last meeting at Lehigh, the Mountain Hawks came out on top, 1-0.
 
Following Saturday's game, Lehigh will remain home and host league rival Colgate the following Saturday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m.
 
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