LEWISBURG, Pa. - Despite 30 combined shots including many glittering scoring chances, neither team could find the back of the net as the Lehigh women's soccer team played Bucknell to a 0-0 tie on Friday evening in Lewisburg. The Mountain Hawks move to 3-2-2 overall and 1-0-1 in the Patriot League while the Bison fall to 5-5-1 and 0-1-1 in league play. Junior goalkeeper Ani Nahapetian backstopped the defense with eight saves while the Lehigh offense featured strong pressure, led by freshman Grace Correll and senior Darby Wiegand who each posted a team-leading three shots for the game.
 
After eight combined shots in the first half, the game opened up midway through the second half and into overtime.
 
"Neither team was playing for a tie. Both teams wanted to finish," said Lehigh head coach Eric Lambinus. "Both teams sent numbers forward and tried to do some good things offensively. Buckell was unbelievable. They defended like crazy and made it really difficult, but I was impressed with our fight. Our second half was much better. I thought we put people in the box and created a ton of good chances."
 
Lehigh held a 5-3 first-half shots advantage, but Nahapetian was called to save all three of Bucknell's shots. One of them came in the 19th minute as she dove to her left to stop a Kendall Ham shot off a corner kick that looked ticketed for the right post.
 
The teams went back and forth in the second half with the Bison controlling play for the early stages. Nahapetian made three saves in the span of 6:23 between the 55th and 62nd minutes, including a dazzling point-blank save of a Brigit Falcon shot at 61:16 to keep the game scoreless.
 
"We ask our keepers to make all the saves they should make, but then make one big one. That was Ani's big save," said Lambinus. "We made a mistake in the back and she made a big stop.
 
"I thought their keeper did a very good job, too," Lambinus continued. "Ani will make you beat her, and they didn't. We've played two Patriot League games and we haven't given up a goal yet, so we're pretty happy with that."
 
Lehigh began to take control midway in the second half, pressuring the Bucknell defense and coming up with some strong chances. Just minutes after Nahapetian's big stop, sophomore Madeline Walsh took a cross from Wiegand, but her shot was saved by Bucknell netminder Jessie Ashworth.
 
In the final 12 minutes, Lehigh held a 3-0 edge in both shots and corner kicks, but Ashworth was there to keep the game scoreless and send the game to overtime.
 
Both teams continued the wide open play in the extra session, trying to pick up the golden goal and earn three points. Lehigh's best chance came in the 109th minute when Correll headed a shot off a corner kick that was punched out of the air by Ashworth. That proved to be Lehigh's last shot as Bucknell earned two corner kicks in the final seconds, but the Mountain Hawks' defense was there to preserve the tie.
 
"Madi Morgan was just all over the place tonight," said Lambinus. "She won so many balls in the midfield. We ask a lot of her and she did a great job. Our back line of Paige Elliott and Emily Korber was tremendous too. Our two outside backs were put under pressure. We're going to leave them one v one sometimes, but we have full confidence they're going to defend the right way."
 
Final shots were 17-13 in favor of Lehigh while the Mountain Hawks held a 9-7 edge in corner kicks. Each goalkeeper finished with eight saves.
 
"We came here to win and we wanted to win, but we're not going to leave here disappointed for getting a tie on the road," said Lambinus.
 
The Mountain Hawks will travel to archrival Lafayette next Wednesday (Oct. 1) for another Patriot League battle. Opening kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
 
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