This is a weekly installment in The Brown and White sports section. The Must-see Mountain Hawk series gives recognition to Lehigh’s top-performing athletes.
Senior midfielder Sabrina Mertz knocked in the women’s soccer team’s first goal against Loyola in dramatic fashion on Oct. 20.
“Her goal on Saturday was incredible,” said Assistant coach Lauren Calabrese. “It was a one-time finish in the box. She ran through the ball and even with the little space she had, she was still able to get a shot off. It was really a clinical finish.”
Calabrese said Mertz’s performance was inspiring, although the Mountain Hawks lost the game 4-3.
Mertz is known among teammates for her strong work ethic and ability to always give 100 percent effort on and off the field.
Senior goalkeeper Lidia Breen, Mertz’s four-year teammate and close friend, cherishes that attitude.
“(Mertz) is the best type of teammate to have,” Breen said. “She does everything she needs to do on the field, and also goes above and beyond off the field to make sure she’s the best leader she can be and makes the team holistically better.”
Breen characterized Mertz as determined, feisty and gritty. Calabrese called her a very adaptable player with a strong sense of purpose.
Mertz said she was happy to score the first goal of the game and energize her team. A consummate hard-worker, she still focuses on improving her game on a week-to-week basis, and she emphasized her goals for the future.
“We have to take care of what we need to take care of and maybe get some help from the other games on Saturday,” said Mertz about her team’s playoff chances ahead of key end-of-season matchups. “I think it’s really important to… just take care of our business, which would be to get a win on Friday.”
The Mountain Hawks were able to get that win on Oct. 26 in a must-win situation versus Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. The victory, paired with results from other Patriot League games, clinched a spot in the postseason for the Mountain Hawks.
Honorable Mentions:
- Sean Brown, cross country: Brown finished 17th overall in the Patriot League Championships on Oct. 27.
- Olivia Perrone, field hockey: Perrone scored a goal and had two assists in Lehigh’s final game of the season, a 3-2 win over Towson.
- Mark Walker, football: Walker recorded a sack in Lehigh’s game versus Holy Cross on Oct. 27, which resulted in a loss of seven yards for the Crusaders.
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