BETHLEHEM, Pa. (September 10, 2023) – Claire Skumurski (Niskayuna, N.Y.) notched her first career multiple-goal game on Sunday afternoon, but the Sacred Heart University field hockey team dropped a 5-2 decision on the road at Lehigh. Lotte Smorenburg scored twice to lead the way for Lehigh in the non-conference affair at Ulrich Field.
 
Lehigh (4-1) needed just 60 seconds to open the scoring, as Maddie Kandra flipped a reverse-stick shot over the goalkeeper from the top of the circle at the one-minute mark.
 
SHU (1-4) was outshot 23-5 over the course of the afternoon, but hung around through three quarters, by virtue of capitalizing on each of its first two shots of the day. The Pios' first equalizer of the contest came on the counter in the 18^th minute. At midfield, Skumurski corralled a long clearance from the backline, then held off a pair of Lehigh defenders, barreled into the circle and uncorked a drive from 10 yards out for her first goal of the season.
 
Lehigh responded in less than two minutes, off a corner in the 20^th minute. The Mountain Hawks ran a play which worked the ball back to the inserter, Smorenburg, at the left post, and she lifted her third of the season upstairs.
 
Again, Sacred Heart answered, on the other side of halftime, in the 41^st minute. First year Cate McConaghy (Newtown Square, Pa.) picked up her first collegiate point on the play, as she provided the centering feed from the end line on the right side. Skumurski was waiting out front and brushed it home for her second of the day. She is the second Pio with a multiple-goal game this season, as Madelyn Kidd (Hillsborough, N.J.) scored twice at Colgate on Sept. 1.
 
The fourth quarter would prove problematic for the visiting team though, as the levee finally broke. Lehigh struck in the 48^th, 54^th and 60^th minutes to pull away for the 5-2 victory. The game-winner came from Abbie Brown, just 2:01 into the frame, as she had the one-time finish out front off a feed from the right side by Ella Stephenson. Smorenburg added her second of the game with 6:01 to play and KK Sauve created the final three-goal margin with her first collegiate marker, in the final minute.
 
Samantha Maresca (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) finished with seven saves against 12 shots and suffered the loss (1-4) in front of the SHU net. Megan Albert (Lansdale, Pa.) and Lizzie Mendrzycki (Hanover Township, Pa.) added defensive saves along the way for the Pios. For Mendrzycki, it was her fourth of the season, which tied her for the lead in the Northeast Conference.
 
Jenny Canoni (4-1) did not record a save, but won anyway, at the other end of the field for Lehigh.
 
SHU is on the road again next weekend, though in a familiar location, as it makes a Sunday trip to Yale. Game time is set for noon at Johnson Field in New Haven.