BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Riding high following three straight victories, the Lehigh women’s soccer team looks to make it four in a row when it welcomes Ivy power Princeton on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The Mountain Hawks’ streak began last Monday when they defeated fellow Ivy League foe Columbia in overtime. They then went on to top American and Navy over the weekend, all by identical 1-0 finals.  

 

Princeton marks Lehigh’s second of three Ivy League foes this season. The Mountain Hawks also welcome defending league champion Penn to the Ulrich Sports Complex for their home finale in two weeks (Oct. 26).

 

The story last week was Lehigh’s defense and goalkeeping, which stood tall to extend its shutout streak to 306:02 dating back to the Lafayette game on Oct. 1. The Mountain Hawks posted three straight shutouts for the first time since the end of last year’s Patriot League Championship campaign when the squad defeated Lafayette in the regular season finale, then Bucknell and Army in the Patriot League Tournament, all by 1-0 scores.

 

Leading the way was freshman Ashley Blanks, who enjoyed the strongest week of her young career, stopping all 15 shots her way to earn Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week laurels. Senior Leah Kulp scored the lone goal against American Friday while assisting on Murphee Greeley’s goal Sunday vs. Navy.

 

A perennial force in the Ivy League, Princeton has struggled so far this season, winning its second game of the season on Monday, 6-0 over Francis Marion. It enters with a 2-8-1 record overall, with its other win coming against Villanova (2-1). Jen Hoy leads the offense with eight points (three goals, two assists) while Lauren Lazo and Sara Chehrehsa each have six apiece (two goals, two assists). Melissa Downey leads the team with three assists. Four different goalkeepers have seen action, with three different starters, led by Claire Pinciaro, who has started eight games with a 1.84 GAA and 64.1 save percentage.

 

Lehigh is winless all-time against Princeton, dropping 13 meetings while tying once (a 0-0 draw in 2009). The sides first met in 1993, a 6-0 Tigers’ win, and have played in all but four years since. The Mountain Hawks have hung tough, especially at home, tying Princeton in 2009 while dropping a 1-0 final in ’07. Last year, Lehigh dropped a heartbreaker as the Tigers scored the game’s only goal with just 4:06 to go in regulation.

 

The Mountain Hawks round out their six-game homestand on Saturday when they host Army in a rematch of last year’s Patriot League Championship Game. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. It’s also Senior Night as the Mountain Hawks’ six seniors will be honored prior to the game.