BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The 2019 season has officially arrived, as Lehigh men's soccer hosts Manhattan on Friday night at 6 p.m. at the Ulrich Sports Complex. The Mountain Hawks are looking to embark on a brand new campaign after falling just one win short of a spot in the Patriot League championship game a season ago.
 
Lehigh has a different look this season after graduating mainstay starters Mark Forrest, Oscar Greene and Matt Morana, however, much of the current roster and parts that made the Mountain Hawks so dominant last season stays the same.
 
Defense was the Mountain Hawks' specialty last season with a Patriot League-leading nine shutouts, as senior goalkeeper Will Smith returns for his final year in the Brown and White. Not only did Smith lead the league in shutouts, but he also led the league in save percentage with a 0.814 mark. Smith is joined by a defensive unit that includes senior and Preseason All-Patriot League selection Zarin Tuten, as well as junior Tyler Dressman, who is coming back from a season-ending knee injury. After a promising rookie season as a primary midfielder, sophomore Nick Jennings becomes a defensive option for the Mountain Hawks in 2019. 13 of Lehigh's 32 players are listed as some kind of defender, so that area remains a major strength moving forward.
 
Nine freshmen grace the field for Lehigh in 2019, with many looking to make an impact right away. Natan Rosen, Andrew White and Jack Sarkos are just a few of the options head coach Dean Koski has to work with for the upcoming season.
 
After losing key starting forward Forrest to graduation, sophomore Josh Luchini is the Mountain Hawks' top scoring option for this season. He scored six of Lehigh's 20 goals last season and was subsequently named a Third Team All-Patriot League selection. Luchini's four game-winning goals led the league and his .551 shot-on-goal percentage led the program. With Luchini just one of the many scoring options for Lehigh this season, the team is in good hands for tallies on the scoreboard.
 
Manhattan comes to Bethlehem on Friday following a successful season, finishing 12-6 overall and 5-5 in the MAAC. The team missed out on qualifying for their conference tournament, but did get a key shutout victory over then-No. 25 Fordham on Sept. 18. The Jaspers return many of their starting lineup including Preseason All-MAAC selections Adrien Awana and Berti Fourrier. Manhattan also returns the team's top goal-scorer a season ago, Brandon Joseph-Buadi, who notched five goals for the Jaspers in 2018. Senior goalkeeper Marcellin Gohier finished last year with a 0.71 goals against average and a save percentage of .810 with seven shutouts. The Jaspers opened last season against the Patriot League at Navy, getting a 1-0 win over the Midshipmen on Aug. 24.
 
Lehigh is 4-0 all-time against Manhattan and beat the Jaspers, 1-0 back on Sept. 2, 2015 on the road. The Mountain Hawks are looking for their first season opening victory since Aug. 25, 2017, when they defeated Rider 3-2 at the Ulrich Sports Complex.
 
The game will be streamed live on the Patriot League Network to kick off the new year.
 
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