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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