CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — Three weeks into the 2016 women’s soccer season, three teams remain unbeaten: Bucknell (4-0-1), Lafayette (3-0-2), and Lehigh (3-0-1). Both the Bison and Leopards are off to their best starts in program history, while the Mountain Hawks have begun the season with four straight shutouts for the first time since 2005.
Last week, the 10 teams in the League combined for a 5-12-2 record.
Lehigh’s strong start has come in large part to the defense, which has held its opponents scoreless for the first 380 minutes of the season. The Mountain Hawks remain as the only team in the League to not have allowed a goal yet this season. On the other end of the field, Lehigh is averaging 2.5 goals per game, tying Lafayette for the most scored at 10.
Lafayette (3-0-2) is unbeaten through the first five games of the season and is off to its best start in program history. The Leopards’ lone game of the week was on Sunday against NJIT and ended in a 1-1 draw. After a scoreless first half, senior forward Melissa Lynskey -- last week’s Corvias Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week – netted the first goal of the game at 50:43 for a 1-0 lead. A penalty kick at 73:32 by the Highlanders evened the score, and the two played to an eventual draw. Lynskey currently leads the League with six goals.
Bucknell began its week with unbeaten Syracuse on Thursday, where the Bison took down the Orange on the road, 2-1, to improve to 4-0 on the season for the first time since 2001. It was Bucknell’s first-ever victory over the ACC member. The Bison previously defeated ACC member Maryland, 3-2, in 2008 -- before the Terrapins move to the Big Ten Conference -- and hold victories against Pitt – which came before the Panthers moved to the ACC. Junior forward Kendall Ham scored the first goal of the game, netting the first goal allowed by Syracuse in over three games and the first at home in 2016.
Weekend Results
Monday, August 29
Harvard 1, Army West Point 0
Wednesday, August 31
Lehigh 3, Marist 0
Thursday, September 1
Bucknell 2, Syracuse 1
Providence 2, Boston University 0
Colgate 5, Fairleigh Dickinson 1
Friday, September 2
Monmouth 4, American 0
Richmond 3, Holy Cross 2 (OT)
UNC Greensboro 3, Army West Point 1
Cornell 1, Loyola 0
Navy 3, Niagara 1
Saturday, September 3
Lehigh 3, Mount St. Mary’s 0
Sunday, September 4
Tennessee 3, American 0
Lafayette 1, NJIT 1 (2OT)
Buffalo 3, Navy 1
DePaul 5, Army West Point 0
VCU 4, Holy Cross 1
Bucknell 1, Rider 1 (2OT)
Providence 5, Colgate 0
Delaware 1, Loyola 0
The women’s soccer weekly awards for Aug. 29 – Sept. 4 went to Tori Pantaleo (Lehigh), Adrian Vitello (Lehigh), Maddie Dano (Bucknell), Danielle Sedillo (Lafayette), and Sam Miller (Lehigh).
Corvias Patriot League Women’s Soccer Weekly Awards
CORVIAS OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
TORI PANTALEO, LEHIGH Sr., F, Colts Neck, N.J.
Pantaleo scored three of Lehigh’s six goals in a pair of 3-0 victories over Marist and Mount St. Mary’s. The senior notched two goals in the second half, tying a career-high, against Marist on Wednesday and tallied another in the 85th minute at Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday. Across the two games, she took four shots, all of which were on goal. Pantaleo now leads the Mountain Hawks with four goals through four games.
CORVIAS MIDFIELDER OF THE WEEK
ADRIAN VITELLO, LEHIGH Jr., M, Manalapan, N.J.
Vitello was a strong contributor on both ends of the field as Lehigh outscored its opponents, Marist and Mount St. Mary’s, 6-0 last week. The junior got the Mountain Hawks off to a fast start against the Red Foxes, scoring the first goal in the sixth minute, and then later assisted on Lehigh’s third goal. As a defensive midfielder, she helped hold the Mount to just three shots, one of which was on goal.
CORVIAS DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
MADDIE DANO, BUCKNELL So., D, Mission Viejo, Calif.
Dano scored Bucknell’s second goal against Syracuse at 71:52 on Thursday, which proved to be the game-winner as the Bison defeated the Orange 2-1. The sophomore has played an integral part of Bucknell’s defense as the team is off to its best start in program history.
CORVIAS GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
DANIELLE SEDILLO, LAFAYETTE Sr., GK, Union, N.J.
Lafayette is off to its best start in program history thanks in large part to Sedillo, who has allowed just three goals in five contests this season. On Sunday against NJIT, the senior posted a seven-save effort to preserve a 1-1 draw, with the lone goal coming on a penalty kick in the 74th minute.
CORVIAS ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
SAM MILLER, LEHIGH Fr., GK, Commack, N.Y.
Miller collects her second consecutive rookie of the week honor with another strong performance in net for the Mountain Hawks. The freshman added two more clean sheets under her belt, totaling four this season to not allow a goal in 380 minutes of collegiate action. The four straight shutouts are the most for Lehigh since starting the same in 2005. Miller tallied five saves this week, four against Marist and one against Mount St. Mary’s.
HONORABLE MENTION
KENDALL HAM, BUCKNELL Jr., F, Stratham, N.H.
Ham netted the first goal in the Bison’s 2-1 win over Syracuse on Thursday and also tallied the lone goal in the 1-1 draw with Rider on Sunday, helping Bucknell to its best start in program history.
ANDJ SESLIJA, HOLY CROSS So., F, Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Seslija posted a career-high two goals in the Crusaders’ 3-2 overtime loss to Richmond on Friday. The sophomore scored in both halves, with each goal tying the score.
JESSICA RATNER, BUCKNELL Sr., GK, Langhorne, Pa.
Allowing just two goals, Ratner totaled nine saves over the week, making five against Syracuse and four against Rider
ABBY SOTOMAYOR, COLGATE Fr., F, Colchester, Conn.
Sotomayor tallied the second and third goals in the Raiders’ 5-1 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Thursday and now has a team-best four goals this season.
Past Weekly Award Winners
Offensive Player of the Week
8.29.16 Melissa Lynskey, Lafayette
8.22.16 Julianna Cabrera, Loyola
Midfielder of the Week
8.29.16 Katie Brannigan, Lafayette
8.22.16 Katie Brannigan, Lafayette
Defensive Player of the Week
8.29.16 Nicole Wahlig, Loyola
8.22.16 Rachel Bloznalis, Boston University
Goalkeeper of the Week
8.29.16 Kelly Chiavaro, Colgate
8.22.16 Kelly Chiavaro, Colgate
Rookie of the Week
8.29.16 Sam Miller, Lehigh
8.22.16 Cadie Higginson, Navy