The Mountain Hawks defeated Patriot League opponent Boston University 1-0 at the Ulrich Sports Complex on Saturday evening. The game winner was scored early in the second half goal by junior forward Doyle Tuvesson on an assist from senior defender Justin Worley.
The Mountain Hawks kept their playoff hopes intact with the win.
“We need to keep getting points,” coach Dean Koski said. “We have three league games left, and this win kept us alive.”
Koski labeled the overall performance of the team as a good effort. He also said the wind was a factor, so it wasn’t the prettiest win.
Early in the first half there were several offside calls that hindered the Hawks’ offensive momentum. Boston University took advantage of this lack of rhythm and pressed the Hawks early. However, five first-half saves by freshman goalkeeper Will Smith enabled the Hawks to earn their momentum back.
Tuvesson and sophomore Mark Forrest, along with senior midfielder Danny Gonzalez, developed offensive communication that led to positive momentum for Lehigh. Late into the first half all three players had opportunities to convert on several big plays. However, though they were missed opportunities, they carried the Mountain Hawks into the locker room with energy.
Tuvesson attributed his early second half goal to Koski’s halftime talk.
“It was a great talk at halftime, it carried the team’s momentum into the second half,” Tuvesson said.
Koski said at halftime he and the team made several adjustments in the back to get more players open and create more momentum in the front. At the start of the second half, the Mountain Hawks’ energy was evident when they attempted four shots in the first three minutes including Tuvesson’s goal on an assist from Worley.
“At halftime we knew what we had to do,” Worley said. “We continued to press them after the goal too.”
That pressure led to several more opportunities to create a bigger lead, but the score remained 1-0 for the rest of the contest. Two goals for the Mountain Hawks were taken back because of offside calls.
While the Terriers had several close opportunities toward the end of the second half, Smith came up with three more saves, preventing a Boston equalizer.
Freshman defender Zarin Tuten, who made a big play to prevent a Boston goal, said the team did a really good job of keeping Boston on their heels.
Worley said the team’s win came largely because it knew what it had to do to stay alive. Desperate for a playoff bid, one more loss can potentially eliminate the Hawks from a chance at another Patriot League title.
Lehigh has three more Patriot League matches and needs win all of them to get a chance to defend its league title from last year.
Saturday’s performance against Boston will serve as a template for how the Mountain Hawks need to play as they face Lafayette in their next game Wednesday. The rivalry contest will kick off at 7 p.m. in Easton.
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