10/7/2004 - Women's Soccer
Navy Soccer Returns Home to Play Host to Lehigh in Patriot League Battle
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ANNAPOLIS, Md. - After playing four of its last six games on the road, the Navy women's soccer team (6-6-1/0-3 PL) returns home Friday, kicking off a five-game homestand beginning with league foe Lehigh. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.
Navy owns a 7-2-2 series advantage over Lehigh, winning seven of the last eight contests, including the last three. In 2000, the two teams battled to a scoreless tie in Bethlehem. The Mountain Hawks, who have not beaten the Mids since Oct. 29, 1994, won the opening two games of the series in 1993 and '94. Lehigh has never beaten Navy on its home field, as the Mids own a 4-0-1 record in games played in Annapolis.
Navy has struggled in Patriot League play this season, losing all three contests this far, including back-to-back 1-0 shutouts to Army and American. Just how unusual is it for Navy to lose three conference games in a season? The Mids haven't lost three games in league action since 1996. Maybe more importantly, if you combine the 2001, '02 and '03 seasons, the Mids suffered only two league losses.
"Now is the trust test of our team, and of our character," said Navy head coach Carin Gabarra. "We have not been getting the results we have wanted, yet we are playing some excellent soccer. Although we are not sure how the season will play out, I can assure everyone that we will play our hearts out until the final whistle blows at the final game. We still have an opportunity to be where we want to be come the end of the regular season, and we will continue to work to attain that goal."
The Mids have scored just one goal in league action this season, that being a goal by senior forward Katie Eames (El Cerrito, Calif.), who is Navy's second-leading scorer with eight points on four goals. Fellow forward Brigitte Fox (La Mesa, Calif.) has paced the Mids in the scoring column this fall, producing five goals, including a pair of game winners. Sophomore forward Meggie Curran (Silver Spring, Md.) owns eight points on two goals and a team-best four assists. Defensively, the Mids are giving up 1.06 goals per game with senior Kim Bonafede (Burke, Va.) minding the net.
Lehigh enters Friday's contest against the Mids undefeated in league action, defeating Army (3-0) and Bucknell (2-1). Overall, the Mountain Hawks are 7-4, losing three of their four games on the road. Lehigh, though, is riding a four-game winning streak in which it has given up just one goal.
Sophomore forward Gina Lewandowski owns a team-high seven goals as the Mountain Hawks' leading scorer. Three of her seven goals have been game winners. Freshman Melissa Montalvo has produced three goals and two assists for eight points, while sophomore midfielder Karilyn Anderson owns a team-best six assists. Defensively, all-league goalkeeper Erin Iwaskiewicz has allowed 11 goals in 11 games and has played every minute for the Mountains Hawks this season.
G-o N-a-v-y
