ANNAPOLIS, Md. – After trailing 1-0 for the majority of the game, the Lehigh men’s soccer team was able to score an equalizer in the 84th minute before an own goal less than a minute later gave Navy a 2-1 win. The victory provided the first-place Mids with their nation-leading tenth win in a row.

 

“I certainly feel like our guys did a good job fighting back,” said head coach Dean Koski. “They struggled a bit early on, but once they figured it out they did a good job. The guys had great intensity the rest of way and found a good goal late in the game, which you love to see on the road against one of the best teams in the league. There was an unfortunate break, but I appreciated the hard effort they put forth.”

 

The Mids had a chance to score early when Grant Valenstein rifled off a shot that flew just wide within the first minute of the contest. The Mountain Hawks thwarted two other Navy opportunities within the first five minutes of the game. Junior Ali Famili recorded Lehigh’s first shot in the tenth minute but the ball wasn’t on target. After a foul was called on Lehigh in the 17th minute, the Mids were given a free kick right outside of the 18-yard box, but freshman keeper Jacob Gottwald was able to save the hard shot off the foot of Navy’s Joseph Greenspan.

 

The Mountain Hawks regained the momentum in the following minutes to tally Lehigh’s first two shots on goal from Famili and freshman Danny Gonzalez. Navy keeper Gavin Snyder, the nation’s save percentage leader, kept both balls out of trouble. The Mids got on the board in the 21st minute on a long-range shot from Nick Dubee that was just out of the reach of Gottwald’s right hand.

 

Shortly after the Mids’ go-ahead goal, Lehigh sophomore Jamie Luchini recorded Lehigh’s third shot on goal but Snyder made the save once again. Gottwald kept a Navy header out of harm’s way in the 33rd minute and the Mountain Hawk defense made a key save in the 41st minute to send the contest into halftime with Navy leading 1-0.

 

After the teams combined for just two shots in the opening 20 minutes of the second half, Greenspan looked to add to Navy’s lead, but Gottwald got a piece before Navy’s Derek Vogel rebounded the ball wide. A shot from Navy’s Jamie Dubyoski skirted just left of the net in the 74th minute to keep the Mountain Hawks in the game.

 

Luchini scored the equalizer in the 84th minute on a breakaway run from the left side to tie the contest at one apiece. Navy answered just over a minute later when the Mids offense deflected a ball off a Lehigh defender into the back of the net. The own goal gave Navy a 2-1 lead with just over five minutes to play and the Mountain Hawks couldn’t find another equalizer as time expired.

 

Final shots stood at 16-11 in favor of Navy, with the Mids holding an 8-5 shot on goal advantage as well. Gottwald finished the game with five saves against Snyder’s four.

 

The Mountain Hawks now begin preparations for a Saturday home match against Colgate. The game is slated for 7 p.m. at the Ulrich Sports Complex and can be viewed for free via the Patriot League Network.

 

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