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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh women's soccer team will look to bounce back from a season-opening loss at Saint Joseph's when it hosts Fairleigh Dickinson this Thursday afternoon. Opening kickoff is set for 12 p.m. on Faculty/Staff Day as the first 50 Lehigh faculty/staff members in attendance will receive a free t-shirt, with a valid Lehigh ID. Admission is FREE for all.
 
The Mountain Hawks played a hard-fought first half at Saint Joseph's Sunday, standing scoreless following 45 minutes of play. Lehigh ended the half with four corner kicks over the final 6:40, but couldn't convert. Early in the second, junior goalkeeper Sam Millermade a tremendous point-blank save in the 52nd minute, but the Hawks converted just over a minute later off a corner kick. Lehigh's best second-half stretch came between the 69th and 80th minutes when it fired four consecutive shots. However, Saint Joseph's put home it next chance, also off a corner. For the second time, junior Annika Jansa made a tremendous play to clear the ball off the line, but the rebound was put home. On the first goal, Jansa headed the initial shot away, but the official ruled the ball had crossed the goal line.
 
Sophomore Miranda Royds saw her first-collegiate action in goal, starting and making a save. Junior Maggie Wadsworth had a team-high three shots while Jansa recorded two. Despite allowing two second-half goals, Miller made three impressive saves. The loss snapped Lehigh's four-game unbeaten streak in season openers. Also snapped was the Mountain Hawks' eight-game unbeaten streak against Philadelphia area schools, dating back to 2015.
 
Fairleigh Dickinson enters Thursday 1-1 on the season, beating Marshall while falling to Providence, both by 1-0 finals. Christa Waterman scored FDU's goal to earn NEC Rookie of the Week honors on Monday, while Amanda Fitzgerald stopped nine of 10 shots sent her way during the opening weekend. The Knights were picked second in the NEC Preseason Poll, returning last year's NEC Rookie of the Year and first team All-Conference honoree Sofia Abertsson, along with two other All-NEC members – Samantha Roff and Fitzgerald. FDU was 9-8-4 last season, falling to Saint Francis (Pa.) in penalty kicks in the NEC Championship Game.
 
Lehigh is 3-0 all-time against FDU, last meeting in 2009 – a 1-0 Lehigh victory on the road. The teams last played at Lehigh on Sept. 26, 2008, also a 1-0 Mountain Hawks' win.
 
Following Thursday's game, Lehigh will hit the road to face Villanova on Sunday, Aug. 26 at 5 p.m.
 
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