Lehigh Sneaks Past Men’s Soccer

Tuesday, October 29

Bethlehem, Pa.

7:00 PM (ET)

Rutgers University

7-6-3

Lehigh

10-4-2

Rutgers

Lehigh

Oct 29 | Men's Soccer

Box Score

Scarlet Knights outshoot Mountain Hawks, 23-8

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (Oct. 29, 2019) – Rutgers men's soccer (7-6-3) dropped a hard-luck match at Lehigh (10-4-2) on Tuesday evening by a score of 1-0 to conclude 2019 non-conference play.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Lehigh scored the lone goal of the match in the 73^rd minute when a corner kick was flicked onto net and took a bounce off the Rutgers defense into the back of the net.
It was just one of three shots on goal for Lehigh, as Rutgers dominated possession throughout the match and ended the game outshooting Lehigh, 23-8. Seven of those shots were on target, and all seven were stopped by Lehigh goalkeeper Will Smith.
The Scarlet Knights' best first half chance came in the seventh minute off the foot of sophomore Pablo Ávila, who tried a low curling shot destined for the inside side netting before Smith made the diving stop. Ávila also had a 25-yard direct free kick attempt sail just inches above the crossbar in the 29^th.
Freshman goalkeeper Oren Asher turned away Lehigh's first scoring chance in the 66^th minute when he tipped away the ball wide of the net, and directed the defense to turn away the ensuing corner to keep the game scoreless.

TURNING POINT

Lehigh launched a counterattack after a Rutgers corner and earned a corner of its own in the 73rd minute. The free ball was sent into the six-yard box, where it appeared to slightly glance off the head of a Lehigh attacker and toward the crashing Rutgers defense, whose momentum carried the ball into the goal for the 1-0 lead. Rutgers continued to attack with four more shots in the closing 17 minutes, but three were blocked and one went wide.

STAT SHEET

Ávila led the attack with six shots, followed by junior midfielder Kyle Galloway's three.
Asher made two saves in net.
Rutgers led in corner kick attempts, 8-3, and shots on goal, 7-3.

KNIGHT NOTES

The Scarlet Knights finish their non-conference slate with a 6-1-2 record.

QUOTABLE

"Honestly, I thought our guys played really well from beginning to end. We asked them to execute a game plan, and I thought they did it playing through midfield, and stepping up on defense. I'm really disappointed for them because I thought they earned something from this game. We just for some reason can't put the ball in the goal. We had some chances, and Lehigh's keeper played very well."
- Head Coach Jim McElderry

UP NEXT

The Scarlet Knights face No. 16 Penn State on Sunday, Nov. 3 at 3 p.m. at Yurcak Field on Senior Day.

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