BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The league schedule is drawing to a close for the 2021 campaign with just three opportunities remaining for the Lehigh men’s soccer team to score points, attempting to advance to the Patriot League tournament. The Mountain Hawks’ next big test (2-10-2, 2-4-0 PL) is on Saturday night against the Navy at 5 p.m. in Annapolis.

Lehigh, currently 0-5-1 away this season, will face an aspiring team (10-2-1, 4-2-1 PL) who have yet to lose at Glenn Warner Soccer Facility, with a 7-0-0 record in these games.

The Mountain Hawks won their final Patriot League game, a 2-0 shutout victory over rival Lafayette last Saturday, but lost 2-0 to Princeton at home on Tuesday in the last non-league game of the season.

Against the Leopards, Jack Sarkos scored his third goal of the season and the winner of the game, while rookie Yoni Aidlberg added confidence with his first career goal. Aidlberg was named Patriot League Rookie of the Week for his performance.

With three games to go, Lehigh has scored 10 goals, three of which belong to the senior striker Josh luchini, who hasn’t found the back of the net since a tie-breaking PK in a 1-1 draw with the No. 4 West Virginia returning Oct. 5. His last in-game goal was at Fairleigh Dickinson on September 14.

Despite allowing two goals against the Tigers on Tuesday, Lehigh’s defense has always been strong lately, led by center-backs Spencer koski and Hassane Diakho. Second year goalie Blake koski recorded his first career shutout against Lafayette and currently has a goals against average of 1.33 in seven starts.

Lehigh needs quality games from now on, currently in ninth place in the Patriot League with six points, one behind seventh and eighth place at Bucknell and Boston University and three behind Army West Point (9), sixth. The Mountain Hawks lost to Bucknell, beat Army earlier this season and will face Boston U. next Saturday in the final home game of the season.

With 12 points, Navy currently holds a share of the No. 2 seed in the tournament, three points behind first place Holy Cross. After winning four straight league games, the Midshipmen saw that streak come to a screeching halt, falling to Loyola Maryland on the road, 2-0. The Mids won a 3-0 non-league victory Wednesday over Mount St. Mary’s.

Offensively, the Navy is led by Jacob Williams with five goals and three assists. Baba Kallie has also scored five times and Sidney Paris has four goals and five assists to his name this season. At net, Tyler Fahning has been class in the Patriot League in 13 starts, recording a GPA of 0.59 with 31 saves, getting eight shutouts along the way.

The Midshipmen have scored 25 goals this season at a rate of 1.92 goals per game, while allowing their opponents just eight goals at 0.62 goals per game.

Navy leads the all-time series over Lehigh, 32-21-7, but the Mountain Hawks have won four of the last five games dating back to 2016. The Mids shut out Lehigh in the spring, 2-0.

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PARKING / SHUTTLE / TICKET / MASKING INFORMATION
Fans are reminded that the general public does not have access to the US Naval Academy to drive their vehicles. Fans can park at the Naval Health Clinic, not Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, and take a shuttle that will run every 10 minutes from one hour before the game and will continue to run until one hour after. the end of the match. Fans 18 and older require government issued photo ID. Dogs are not permitted inside the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. All soccer competitions at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility will be free. Masks will not be required for those vaccinated, while unvaccinated fans are encouraged to wear a mask if they are unable to maintain appropriate social distancing. In addition, all fans will be required to wear a mask while traveling on the shuttle, regardless of their vaccination status.