This is the second edition of a weekly installment in The Brown and White sports section. The Must-See Mountain Hawk series gives recognition to Lehigh’s top-performing athletes.
Mark Forrest, the captain of the men’s soccer team and a senior forward, received the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week after Lehigh defeated Patriot League rival No. 20 Colgate on Oct. 3.
Forrest scored the lone goal of the game and the Mountain Hawks defeated the Raiders 1-0.
Dean Koski, Lehigh men’s soccer head coach, said the biggest growth he has seen in Forrest is his understanding that the program goes beyond scoring goals — it includes building relationships with alumni and the community.
“(Forrest) has figured that all out and has really grown into what I would consider the ideal student-athlete we want to have graduate here in four years,” Koski said.
During Forrest’s freshman year at Lehigh, he scored 11 goals. He was also recognized as the top first-year male student-athlete and received the Lehigh Athletics Department’s J. Daniel Nolan Award.
Forrest said he wants incoming collegiate athletes to know that they can achieve what they want to if they take advantage of the resources they have, otherwise they will just blend into the crowd.
“Your Lehigh experience and your academic experience are really what you want to make it,” Forrest said. “You’re going to find success on and off the field.”
Kosi said that he wants the best for Forrest.
“I hope that he has a great senior year here and helps us compete for a championship,” Koski said. “I want him to hopefully be in a position to get drafted in the MLS, and if not, then to overseas because I think he has the ability to play at the next level.”
Honorable mentions:
Will Smith, men’s soccer: junior Goalkeeper of the Week, Smith made two saves on Oct. 3 against Colgate.
Owen Quinn, men’s golf: junior Quinn finished fifth at the UConn invitational in Hampden, Massachusetts from Oct.7-Oct.9 behind a four-place tie.
Sam Miller, women’s soccer: junior Miller was named Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week after coming off a six-save shutout against American on Oct. 8. The Mountain Hawks beat American at its university for the first time in league history.
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