Lehigh men’s lacrosse attack trio sees success at the net

Lehigh men’s lacrosse is off to a hot start, sitting at 6-3 overall and 3-1 in the Patriot League. 

Lehigh leads the Patriot League in goals with 129 in their first nine games. The team also reigns first in the Patriot League in shooting percentage, converting on 36% of their shots. 

Three attackmen lead the effort: junior Scott Cole and seniors Justin Tiernan and Christian Mule, who have collectively accounted for 78 of the team’s 129 goals. 

Mule scored his 100th career goal against Georgetown on March 25. He joins an elite club of 11 players who have all scored 100 or more goals in their Lehigh career. 

Mule achieved this mark despite only playing six games in his first season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I just tried to get better every year,” Mule said. “My teammates made it pretty easy for me.”

Mule and Tiernan, both having grown up on Long Island, New York, have been playing lacrosse together since preschool.

The pair have a strong on-the-field connection that has spanned their whole lives.

“I think we have one of the best attacks in the country right now,” Mule said.

The attacker trio averages 13.75 goals and assists per game, and they have scored on 40.4% of their shots.

In his senior year of high school, Tiernan led all of New York state in scoring. 

At Lehigh, Tiernan has tallied 60 goals, with 29 of them scored in the 2023 season alone. 

Last year, Tiernan only played in five games due to injury but still managed to score 11 goals on 23 shots. 

“Tearing my ACL last fall caused me to be sidelined for most of last season, but having a full recovery and being healthy this year has helped me gain more confidence,” Tiernan said.

In the first game of the season against Fairfield, Tiernan led the Mountain Hawks to a win, scoring five goals on seven shots along the way. 

Tiernan switched positions this year from midfield to attack, which allows him to make more offensive contributions. He said playing attack is more demanding and the change forced him to get into better shape.

Cole has also had a successful career. He was named first team all-Patriot League last year when he finished second on the team with 30 goals. 

Cole is averaging over three goals per game and is the current leading goal scorer in the Patriot League.

He said he credits his scoring outburst to his change in position from midfield to attack and the mental aspect of the game. 

“I’m at my best when I have full confidence in my abilities, and I have had to learn how to get myself to that point of peak confidence every time I play,” Cole said.

Cole said, overall, he feels he has more control over the outcome of a game than he did last year.

The three players all have the same goal in mind: winning a Patriot League championship.

“I would love nothing more than to win a championship with this team,” Cole said. “We wouldn’t dedicate so much time and effort to settle for anything less than the best.”

Lehigh men’s lacrosse will play their next game at Bucknell on April 8.