BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Just two days after a tough 1-0 loss at Lafayette, the Lehigh women’s soccer team will look to gain momentum when it travels to Columbia Monday to face the Lions. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The Mountain Hawks fell behind in the 14th minute Saturday and had a number of chances to tie the score, but couldn’t net the equalizer. Lehigh will look to beat Columbia for the second straight year after topping the Lions last season for the first time since 1993.

 

Monday marks Lehigh’s second-to-last nonleague game; the Mountain Hawks will head to Princeton next Wednesday (Oct. 10). After struggling over its first three games this season, Lehigh picked up a big 3-0 win over Marist and has four slim one-goal losses (three in a row) and a two-goal defeat.

 

The Mountain Hawks showed strong flashes Saturday night, especially in the second half when they controlled possession. Perhaps their best chance came late in the first stanza when a Paige Dyrek shot was tipped by Lafayette goalkeeper Lauren Smedley off the crossbar and out of harm’s way. Lehigh went on to have some odd man breaks, but were unable to capitalize.

Columbia enters Monday’s game with a 5-4 record, 2-0 in the Ivy League via wins over Brown and Cornell. The Lions did play Patriot League foe Army on Sept. 23, falling 3-2. Beverly Leon leads the team with 11 points (four goals, three assists) while Coleen Rizzo has eight (three goals, two assists). Grace Redmon has played all 820:00 in goal, posting a 0.99 GAA and .845 save percentage.

 

Lehigh is 2-6-2 all-time against Columbia, earning its lone wins in 1993 and last season. Last year, Sophie Mayeux scored her first-career goal in the extra session to send the Mountain Hawks home winners.

 

Following Monday’s game, Lehigh will head south for a big Patriot League weekend. The Mountain Hawks play at American on Friday (3 p.m.) and Navy on Sunday (1 p.m.).

 

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