Lehigh is coming off a pair of losses at Atlantic 10 foes Saint Joseph’s on Friday and Sunday, respectively. The Mountain Hawks hung tough Sunday against a La Salle squad who remains undefeated and is still the only team in the nation to have not allowed a goal. The teams played even until the 64th minute when the Explorers scored the game’s first and only goal.

 

The Mountain Hawks return home for the first time since Sept. 9 against Monmouth. Since, Lehigh went on a five-game road swing highlighted by a perfect 2-0 weekend at Quinnipiac and NJIT. Seven of Lehigh’s final 10 regular season contests come in the friendly confines of the Ulrich Sports Complex.

 

Lafayette has enjoyed a strong season thus far, entering with a 5-3-1 record. The Leopards’ wins have come over Howard, Monmouth, Saint Peter’s, NJIT and Manhattan while they tied Princeton and fell to Wagner, Hartford and Marist. A very balanced offense has seen seven different Leopards score a goal; Jill Dozier leads the way in points with four (one goal, two assists) while Alyssa Finelli and Jaclyn Giordano each have three (one goal, one assist). Lauren Smedley has played every minute in goal, with a stellar 0.53 GAA and .900 save percentage.

 

Lehigh owns a 14-4-2 lead in the all-time series against Lafayette, which includes nine straight wins dating back to 2001. The games have been closer, however, with eight of the nine Mountain Hawk victories coming by two goals or less, including five one-goal margins.

 

The game will be the first Summit Series contest of the 2011-12 school year for Lehigh Athletics. Tickets are five dollars for the general public while Lehigh students and staff are admitted free of charge with a valid ID. For more information on Summit Series games, please click here.

 

The Mountain Hawks continue their homestand on Monday when they welcome Columbia to the Ulrich Sports Complex at 7 p.m. Their next Patriot League game is Friday, Oct. 7 against American.