Mountain Hawks drop 2-1 battle at Brown

September 14, 2014

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Lehigh men’s soccer team trailed 1-0 before rallying to tie the game in the 76th minute, but Brown scored again in the 79th minute to capture a 2-1 win on the Bears’ Stevenson Field. Junior Jamie Luchini scored Lehigh’s lone goal as the Mountain Hawks fall to 3-2 on the season while Brown improves to 2-2.

Senior keeper Ciaran Nugent made his first save of the game in the ninth minute before Lehigh seized momentum and fired three corner kicks and three shots on goal between the 11th and 15th minutes, but Brown keeper Mitch Kupstas was able to save all three Mountain Hawk shots.

Nugent stopped another shot in the 28th minute before the Mountain Hawks threatened once again with a pair of corner kicks and a shot on goal from sophomore Stefan Woort-Menker, but neither team was able to find a goal as the contest went into halftime scoreless.

Brown’s Will Cross connected on a pass from Louis Zingas just over a minute into the second half to break the scoreless tie and but the Bears up 1-0. Junior Austin Decker and sophomore Gianfranco Giammatteo both had chances within a minute of each other in the 54th minute, but Kupstas thwarted both opportunities.

Luchini was able to tie the game at one in the 76th minute as he sent a ball to the far post past the keeper for his third goal of the season.

Just over three minutes later, Brown’s Cross struck again on a pass from Nate Pomeroy to give the lead back to the Bears. The Mountain Hawks tallied two more shots and a pair of corner kicks, but none could find the back of the net as time expired and Brown walked away with the 2-1 win.

The Bears held a slim 11-10 shot advantage, but Lehigh fired eight shots on goal compared to the Bears’ five. Luchini led the Mountain Hawks with three shots, two of which were on goal. Nugent made three saves while Kupstas registered seven.

Lehigh returns home for the first time since August on Friday Sept. 19 to host Stetson at 7 p.m.

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