Friday at UConn: Watch Live | Live Stats | Monday vs. Drexel: Watch Live on the Patriot League Network (Free) | Live Stats
 
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh men's soccer team is set to open its season on Friday evening when it travels to UConn to face the Huskies. The Mountain Hawks will then host Drexel on Monday in their home opener. Both matches are set to kick off at 7 p.m. Lehigh is coming off a top four finish in the Patriot League last year, earning a quarterfinal home game, and reaching double-figure wins, for the third time in the last four years. The Mountain Hawks own a combined record of 41-32-6 since 2014.
 
Lehigh has won four straight season openers and will eye its fifth in a row on Friday. The Mountain Hawks finished 11-7-1 overall last year, 5-3-1 in Patriot League play. Lehigh won five straight games in September, which included wins over Seton Hall and St. John's of the Big East. The Mountain Hawks had plenty of strong moments in October as well, at one point winning three straight and playing a hard-fought, competitive game at No. 10 Virginia, eventually falling 4-2. Lehigh also tied eventual Patriot League Champion Colgate, who went on to reach the round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament.
 
UConn finished 8-8-2 a season ago, including 4-3-0 in the American Athletic Conference and 5-5-2 at home. The Huskies were predicted third in the AAC preseason poll, placing three members on the preseason All-Conference team. Defender Jacob Hauser-Ramsey was named the AAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, leading a defense which recorded a 0.96 goals against average with eight shutouts in 2017. Forward Abdou Mbacke Thiam and defender Dylan Greenberg were also named preseason All-Conference. Thiam is UConn's returning leader in goals (10) as he earned first team All-AAC following the year.
 
Lehigh is 0-1 all-time against UConn, falling 5-0 on the road on Sept. 13, 1992.
 
Drexel struggled last season, finishing 2-14-1 with wins over Penn and Northeastern and a tie vs. William & Mary. The Dragons struggled offensively, scoring eight goals. The team's two leaders in points do return in Mathias Ebbesen (two goals, two assists) and Sebastien Cabral (three goals). However, Drexel does lose its goalkeeper Jacob Jordan, who played every minute last year and tallied a 2.02 goals against average and 0.759 save percentage.
 
The Mountain Hawks are 15-21-1 all-time against Drexel. Last season's meeting (a 3-0 Lehigh win) was the first since 2013. Lehigh's goals came from Alex Greene, Mark Forrest and Doyle Tuvesson while goalkeeper Will Smith pitched a shutout with seven saves.
 
After Monday's Drexel contest, Lehigh will return to action next Saturday, Sept. 1 at George Washington at 4 p.m.
 
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