Box Score 

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Freshman Kayla Arestivo scored late in the first half then the Lehigh women's soccer team exploded for three more second-half goals to earn an impressive 4-0 win over LIU Brooklyn in the team's home opener Friday evening. The Mountain Hawks outshot the Blackbirds 21-5 in the second half as Lehigh has now outscored its opponents 11-0 over its last two home openers.
 
"Our team put in a lot of work in the offseason and preseason and you can tell," said Lehigh head coach Eric Lambinus. "We had a lot of good energy. We played a good amount of players in the first half and they were fresh coming in, and excited. We were solid in the first half and we got better in the second half."
 
Along with Arestivo, Lehigh's goals were scored by junior Grace Correll, senior Tori Pantaleo and junior Becca Sherry. In total, the Mountain Hawks fired 14 shots on goal for the game, 10 coming in the second half.
 
Shots were even at five apiece in the first half when the Mountain Hawks began to surge, which led to the game's first goal. Stationed on the right side just outside the box, Arestivo fired a high shot, which beat LIU Brooklyn goalkeeper Aline Allman to give Lehigh a 1-0 lead at the 37:36 mark.
 
"Getting that first goal was really big and I think it lifted a lot of our confidence as a team," said Lambinus. "Kayla has that in her. She got the ball and put it in a good spot. She's not afraid. We need players with that type of confidence."
 
Lehigh's attack was relentless in the second half. Just over six minutes into the stanza, sophomore Sabrina Mertz sprung Correll on a break towards the net. Correll beat the defense and fired a shot into the top-left corner of the goal to give the Mountain Hawks a 2-0 edge.
 
The shots kept coming and Lehigh capitalized twice more from in close. Pantaleo made the score 3-0 in the 74th minute, then Sherry scored her first goal of the season in the 81st minute, as Lehigh walked away with the 4-0 victory.
 
In the process, the Mountain Hawks earned their second straight shutout to begin the season.
 
"We pride ourselves on being a really good defensive team," said Lambinus. "That's not just our backline or midfield; that's all 11 players on the field. If we can defend well, it will turn into offense. It all started up top, putting pressure on the ball. We won the ball in good spots and it's easier to go 40 yards than 100 yards if you win the ball in the attacking third of the field."
 
Final shots were 29-10 in favor of Lehigh while the Mountain Hawks held a 7-1 edge in corner kicks. Freshman Sam Miller made eight saves in goal to earn her second straight shutout to begin the season.
 
"We've gotten a little bit better every game (two preseason and two regular season). We're hoping we can continue to improve," said Lambinus. "We still have areas we can be better, but today was a good step."
 
The Mountain Hawks return home on Wednesday to host Marist at 6 p.m. before heading to Mount St. Mary's on Sunday to face the Mountaineers.
 
"It's a big week for us because it's the first week of classes, so it's the first time that we start dealing with classes and soccer," said Lambinus. "Our student-athletes have to take the right mindset coming into this week because it's going to be hectic. We're happy that one of the games is at home, but it's a big challenge for us and it's the next step we have to overcome. 
 
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