Sophomore Meggie Curran scored back-to-back goals for the Mids, including the game winner in the 82nd minute against Lehigh.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Four second-half goals, including back-to-back scores by sophomore forward Meggie Curran (Silver Spring, Md.), helped lead the Navy women's soccer team to its first Patriot League win of the season, a 4-2 triumph over previously undefeated Lehigh. The win keeps Navy in the hunt for the Patriot League postseason tournament in which the top-four finishers in the regular season qualify. Meanwhile, the Mountain Hawks suffered their first conference loss and own a 2-1 record.

Lehigh scored the game's first goal when sophomore forward Gina Lewandowski sent a header eight yards out past Navy goalkeeper Kim Bonafede (Burke, Va.) in the 23rd minute of the game. Though Navy outshot the Mountain Hawks, 5-3, in the first half, the score would remain in favor of Lehigh at the half.

Navy scored just over a minute and a half into the second half when Curran's corner kick was headed by junior Lindsay Adlam (Ambler, Pa.) and knocked in by rookie defender Lauren Griebel (Arlington Heights, Ill.) for her first-collegiate score.

The goal seemed to bring new life to the Midshipmen.

The momentum by the Mids, however, was temporarily dampened when Lewandowski threaded her way through a crowd of defenders to give Lehigh the lead once again, scoring her second goal of the game in the 53rd minute.

Navy had ample chances to knot the score up, including back-to-back shots on goal by rookie forward Brigitte Fox (La Mesa, Calif.) in the 65th minute. The Mids finally capitalized in the 73rd minute when junior middie Sarah Hessinger (Oceanside, Calif.) took the ball down the right sideline and fed Curran who was at the top right of the box. Curran's shot was fired to the lower left corner, tying the score at 2-2.

Curran, who took three shots on the evening, tagged Lehigh all-league keeper Erin Iwaskiewicz for a second time when she beat her defender and tucked the ball into the right lower corner of the net to score the game winner in the 82nd minute. Two minutes later, sophomore midfielder Carmen Myers (Woodbridge, Va.) sealed the victory with her second goal of the season with assists from sophomore Kristi Coonfare (Aurora, Colo.) and Fox.

"We had an average first half," said Navy head coach Carin Gabarra. "We had our chances and played hard, but we didn't have fight, something we've been lacking all year. At half, we gave the team a little grief about how they were playing and they were able to come out in the second half and play with fight and emotion. We were determined to go down fighting. Tonight's win is the beginning of our season."

The win snapped a two-game losing skid for the Mids and a three-game Patriot League losing streak. The win also kept Navy's slate at home unblemished, winning all six contest played at Glenn Warner Soccer Facility in 2004.

Navy returns to action next Friday when it plays host to league foe Lafayette. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.

Goals By Period 1 2 F
Lehigh (7-5 / 2-1 PL) 1 1 2
Navy (7-6-1 / 1-3 PL) 0 4 4

Scoring Summary
LU 22:08 Gina Lewandowski (8) from Jocelyn Helwig
NAVY 46:31 Lauren Griebel (1) from Meggie Curran and Lindsay Adlam
LU 52:14 Gina Lewandowski (9) unassisted
NAVY 72:06 Meggie Curran (3) from Sarah Hessinger
NAVY 81:47 Meggie Curran (4) from Stephanie Parker
NAVY 83:46 Carmen Myers (2) from Kristi Coonfare and Brigitte Fox
() - # goals this year

Shots: Lehigh 4-5 - 9; Navy 3-8 - 11
Corners: Lehigh 2-0 - 2; Navy 1-1 - 2
Saves: Lehigh 1-4 - 5, Navy 2-3 - 5
Fouls: Lehigh 3-8 - 11; Navy 3-2 - 5

G-o N-a-v-y