Women’s soccer dives into Patriot League play at home

Lehigh women’s soccer is yet to find the win they’re looking for, but head coach Lauren Calabrese said her and her players are focused on preparing for Patriot League play.

The Mountain Hawks are currently 0-8-1, after finishing their non-conference play along with two recent Patriot League losses against Bucknell and Army.

Calabrese said the team is focused on defining their process rather than just looking at the results.

“We’ve been really locked in and dialed in on what it looks like to get there,” Calabrese said. “The process of being really consistent in our cultural values and to be consistent in our principles of play.”

Calabrese said as a team, they grade themselves in four different areas: work rate, mentality, accountability and communication. After any session, such as a training or game, they reflect on how they did, either being above the line or below the line.

Senior defender Macy McCallum said the team has seen improvement in communication as the season continues to play out, but still needs to focus heavily on team mentality.

“I would say that our mentality could be improved a little bit,” McCallum said. “It’s inconsistent, and I feel like if we just have it more consistent, even if we go down just having the same attacking (offensive) mentality would help.”

The Mountain Hawks have struggled offensively, only scoring five goals in nine games and being shut out five times. After scoring two goals and tying their game against Stony Brook, they were held to no points in the next two games.

Sophomore goalkeeper Chloe Zipprich said finishing opportunities is an area the team needs to improve moving into league play.

“I think that something we can work on is just getting more shots off, our finishing, and just getting on the board a little more,” Zipprich said. “But that’s not just forwards, that’s everyone.”

Zipprich said the team’s defensive play has gotten better because they faced strong opponents early, like Villanova, who defeated Lehigh 9-0 on Aug 16.

The challenging early season schedule made the Mountain Hawks lean on their core values when faced with adversity.

McCallum said it’s not an effort problem.

“It’s just our discipline when we get tired, you start to make a few more mistakes, or you’re focusing on being tired, and we just need to be able to push through that fatigue,” McCallum said.

Coach Calabrese said consistency is more than what happens during games. Nutrition, sleep and recovery allow players to perform at a consistent level, especially when they have quick turnarounds for games.

Zipprich said the team has developed a “next action” mentality, pointing out how teammates respond to adversity.

“You can never let your mentality change,” Zipprich said. “Something I’ve learned is how I respond to it will also travel through the team.”

With Patriot League play coming up, the Mountain Hawks will be tested in all of these areas. The Mountain Hawks will play nine conference games at home, including matchups against Navy, American, Holy Cross and Lafayette.

The Mountain Hawks are currently 0-2 in Patriot League play following a 1-3 loss against Bucknell, and a 0-2 loss against Army. They will be tested in all areas with seven more league games, and the next home against Navy on Sept. 30.

McCallum said Lehigh’s 2-2 draw against Stony Brook shows how strong the team can be when their mentality and energy stays consistent.

“We were way louder on the bench,” McCallum said. “We were just so energetic on the field, and we got a draw against Stony Brook. So I think replicating that energy is something that we can do.”

Coach Calabrese played for Lehigh and understands what it takes to help achieve the team’s goals. She said the team’s priority is to compete and stay together, even when results are not what is wanted.

“It is the mentality that even when things aren’t going the way you want them to, stay the course,” Calabrese said. “I want Lehigh to play like Lehigh.”