BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Mountain Hawks opened Patriot League play Saturday night with a 1-0 victory over Army West Point and extend their win streak to four-straight games.

Mark Forrest netted the game's only tally when he scored in the 10th minute. Lehigh (5-2-0) did its part defensively the remaining 80 minutes and shutout, Army (5-3-0), the league's second-best scoring offense, for just the second time this season. Will Smith anchored the Lehigh defense with a career-high tying eight saves on the night.

"This was our best team effort defensively. I thought everyone did a great job executing the game plan, making sure their two top forwards did not get many looks," said head coach Dean Koski. "Will [Smith] had an outstanding performance and was a difference maker for us today. He made the saves that he should make, but he also made the saves that kept us in the game. When we did have defensive breakdowns, he was there to bail us out."

The Mountain Hawks found pay dirt on their first shot of the game. Matt Morana unleashed a pass just inside midfield that sprung Forrest free of his defenders up the left side. Forrest made a subtle move on the goalie to the left and placed his shot inside a wide open net. Forrest extends his league-leading goal total to six on the season.

Lehigh survived a scare in the 33rd minute as Smith posted back-to-back saves. Grayson Nauqin had the initial shot from nearly 30 yards out which was knocked down by Smith, but not settled. Rex Epps came in for a rebound attempt, but Smith snared his shot from point blank range.

The defensive unit as a whole did a stellar job of limiting penetration by Army in the final third and winning one-on-one battles on the outside. Zarin Tuten won many jump balls inside the box, while John Marc Charpentier and David Zipkin won numerous one-on-one battles throughout the night.

Army had an active run offensively starting in the 72nd minute. Zac McGraw had a quality chance off a set piece, but sent his header attempt high over the crossbar from inside the six-yard line. The Black Knights had another chance in the 73rd minute on a point blank shot by Peter Meyer, but Smith's sprawling save kept Army off the board.

Lehigh will remain at home for the third leg of a four-game home stand when they square off against St. John's on Tuesday. Kickoff at the Ulrich Sports Complex is set for 7 p.m.

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