Posted: 02/28/2012 | Last updated: February 28, 2012 at 11:46 AM
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Lehigh women’s lacrosse team will return to action Wednesday afternoon as the Mountain Hawks welcome Temple to the Ulrich Sports Complex. Opening draw is set for 3:30 p.m. Lehigh looks to bounce back from Saturday’s 11-7 loss at Delaware and improve to 2-0 at home this season.
The Owls (3-0, 0-0 A-10) are coming off of a 12-3 rout of Mount Saint Mary’s last weekend, with previous wins coming on the road against Rutgers (12-11), and at home against Oregon (14-12) in their season opener.
Lehigh (1-1, 0-0 Patriot League) is coming off of a disappointing finish at Delaware last weekend, dropping an 11-7 contest on Saturday, despite outshooting the Blue Hens 23-21. Senior Leigh Ann Torcivia continues to lead the Brown and White offensively with seven points (three goals, four assists) through two games, while her seven draw controls and three caused turnovers are also tops on the squad.
Junior Julie McBrien recorded four points (three goals, one assist) in the loss to Delaware, good for her second-career hat trick. McBrien jumped to second in scoring for the Mountain Hawks after being held off the scoreboard in the first contest of the season against Marist.
In all, nine Lehigh players have tallied points so far. The team will look to continue the balanced scoring against a Temple squad that has allowed just 8.67 goals-per-game in three contests, backstopped by senior goalie Tess Bishop. The Owls have outscored their opponents, 38-26, so far this season.
Lehigh has been outscored by one over their two contests thus far and own a 36.6 shooting percentage to the Owls’ 44.2.
Sophomore goaltender Alex Fitzpatrick will have her work cut out for her against a Temple offense averaging 12.67 goals per game, led by sophomore Jaymie Tabor and junior Stephany Parcell, who each have eight goals through the season’s first three contests. Parcell has added one assist to lead the Owls with nine points.
Fitzpatrick leads the Patriot League in saves per game (nine), and also owns the league’s top save percentage at 52.9 percent.
The Mountain Hawks won last season’s meeting 18-6 at Geasey Field in Philadelphia behind a career-best 16 saves by Fitzpatrick. Lehigh is 1-13 all time against the Owls, though Lehigh’s win last season marked the first matchup since 1993.
Lehigh will return home on Saturday to host Robert Morris at 1 p.m. before hitting the road for a tilt at #2 North Carolina on Tuesday, Mar. 6 at 5 p.m.