Taking a look back at notable 2019-2020 Le-Laf games

Due to COVID-19, we have been living in a world with no live sports to follow — including our own Lehigh Mountain Hawks. In lieu of this absence, The Brown and White compiled a list of some of the top Lehigh-Lafayette matchups of the 2019-2020 season for fans to look back on.

Lehigh men’s basketball splits season series with Leopards 

Lehigh suffered its first loss to Lafayette since the 2014-2015 season when men’s basketball hosted the Leopards on Jan. 25 in the first meeting of the season between the two rivals. It was a tightly contested first half, with Lehigh only down eight points at halftime. The second half was a different story, however, with Lafayette scoring 41 points to secure the 74-56 win.

Notables: 

• Sophomore center Nic Lynch scored 13 points to lead the Mountain Hawks. 
• Forward Jeameril Wilson added 11 points in just 17 minutes.
• Lafayette junior guard Justin Jaworski scored a game high 20 points and added two steals.

In the second matchup of the season, Lehigh was able to bounce back and defeat the Leopards on the road. This was a hard fought, defensive battle that saw both teams struggle to find the back of the net, each shooting below 38 percent from the field. Lehigh was able to come away with the victory due to its balanced scoring, as all five starters scored in double digits. 

Notables: 

• Forward Jeameril Wilson recorded a double-double and led the game in scoring with 13 points and 15 rebounds. 
• Freshman guard Reed Fenton added 12 points for the Mountain Hawks off the bench.

Lehigh women’s basketball splits season series with Lafayette 

In their first matchup of the season against Lafayette, Lehigh lost 61-53 on the road at the Kirby Sports Center in Easton. Lehigh had a strong first quarter and jumped out to a 23-13 lead, but came up short in the end. Similarly to the men’s team, this was the women’s basketball team’s first loss against Lafayette since the 2014-15 season.

Notables: 

• Senior forward Cameryn Benz led the way for Lehigh with 14 points. 
• Lafayette junior guard Drew Freeland scored a game high 17 points.

Lehigh got revenge over its rivals when they beat Lafayette at home by a score of 73-66 at Stabler Arena on Feb. 8. Lehigh was electric from the three point line, hitting 11 three-pointers.  The game was also memorable for the seniors as it cemented a 4-0 record against Lafayette at home over their careers. 

Notables: 

• Sophomore guard Megan Walker led all scorers with 23 points and seven total three-pointers. 
• Junior guard Mary Clougherty scored 19 points and also made three total three-pointers. 

The women’s basketball team was in the middle of the Patriot League Tournament before the cancellation of the season. They had won their quarterfinal matchup against Colgate and were scheduled to play Boston University in the semifinals. 

Lehigh Football falls to Lafayette in the 155th Edition of the Rivalry 

For the first time in five years, Lehigh fell to Lafayette at home in college football’s longest running rivalry. Lehigh’s offense gained 376 offensive yards compared to Lafayette’s 225, but four turnovers proved to be too much for the Mountain Hawks to overcome. Lehigh’s defense played exceptionally all day, but the game ultimately came down to the last second. Lafayette’s kicker converted the game-winning field goal with just 47 seconds remaining to secure the win. 

Notables: 

• Senior linebacker Keith Woetzel racked up 10 tackles, five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks to go along with an interception. 
• Filling in for injured senior Tyler Monaco, sophomore quarterback Alec Beesmer went 14-24 passing for 246 yards. He also threw two interceptions. 
• Lafayette running back Selwyn Simpson ran for 41 yards and scored two touchdowns. 

Lehigh men’s soccer ends season with Patriot League Championship over Lafayette 

The Lehigh men’s soccer team enjoyed a successful 2019 season, earning the top seed in the Patriot League Tournament before winning the tournament against No. 4 Lafayette. In Patriot League play, the men’s soccer team went 6-0-3. During their regular season game against Lafayette, they battled to a 0-0 tie even after two overtime periods. 

Notables: 

Senior goalkeeper Will Smith made three saves to preserve the shutout. 

The second meeting between these two teams would come in the Patriot League Final. Lehigh came out victorious and won the Patriot League championship 1-0 in another defensive battle. The victory marked Lehigh men’s soccer’s third ever Patriot League Title and its first since 2015. They took the lead in the 54th minute thanks to a goal by sophomore forward Michael Tahiru.  The win secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for Lehigh. 

Notables: 

• Michael Tahiru scored the game winning goal in the 54th minute. He was named to the Patriot League All-Tournament Team. 
• Senior goalkeeper Will Smith had six saves to secure a shutout. Smith was honored as the MVP of the Patriot League Tournament as well as being an All-Tournament selection.