COLLEGE WRAP-AROUND: Luchini scores game-winner; WVU men and women handle Red Flash

College Wrap-Around (9/16/2018)

From Lehigh University, West Virginia University reports

Luchini’s late goal gives Mountain Hawks dramatic 2 OT victory at Rider

Former North Allegheny standout Josh Luchini, who led the Tigers to consecutive WPIAL titles, has had a pretty good start to his frashman campaign at Lehigh University.

Last week, in double-overtime against Rider, Luchini broke through to beat goalkeeper Pablo Gatinois to give Lehigh the win.  Luchini has played in all seven of Lehigh’s matches this season, registering that goal, and an assist in his previous match against Binghampton. The Division I Mountain Hawks are currently 3-3-1 overall heading into Patriot League play.

WVU women Shut Out St. Francis 

Though it took 71 minutes to find the first goal, quick scores in the second half pushed the West Virginia University women’s soccer team to a 2-0 victory over Saint Francis (Pa.) this afternoon at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.

 The result pushes the Mountaineers’ (4-2-3) win streak to three, their longest streak since stringing together three wins Oct. 22 – Nov. 1 in 2017.

 “You have to give a lot of credit to Saint Francis – they did everything they could to disrupt us,” Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. “At the end of the day, we’re going to take this win as we move into conference play.”

 For the second straight match, the WVU defense denied an opponent a shot, marking the first time in the program’s 23-year history the Mountaineers have prevented a team from taking a shot in back-to-back matches. The Red Flash are the ninth team in program history to not earn a look against WVU.

 SFU (2-6-2) also did not earn a corner kick, becoming the second team in three matches to not earn a chance.

 The clean sheet is the Mountaineers’ fourth of the season. Junior Rylee Foster earned credit for the shutout, her third of the season and the 23rd of her career. She is now tied with Hannah Steadman (2014-15) at No. 5 on WVU’s all-time career shutout list.

WVU men outlast Red Flash 

West Virginia University men’s soccer team won its fourth consecutive non-conference home match with a 3-1 victory against Saint Francis (Pa.) on Saturday night at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.

The Mountaineers (3-3) took a 1-0 lead in the 37th minute and added a goal on a penalty kick in the 63rd minute to extend their lead to 2-0. Eight minutes later, in the 71st minute, West Virginia made it 3-0 before the Red Flash (3-3) scored their lone goal in the 86th minute.

Senior forward Rushawn Larmond scored WVU’s first and third goals, recording his first multi-goal game of his career, while senior midfielder Joey Piatczyc converted on the penalty kick for his first career game-winning goal.

With the two points on the game-winning goal, Piatczyc has 15 game-winning points in his career, tied for eighth-most in program history.

“Today, we were able to finish,” LeBlanc said. “I still think, at the end of the day, there’s more goals in us. I think there needs to be more goals in us, but it definitely feels good to get back in the winning side of things. We’re a good team; I’ve said that before. I think we’re still going to win a lot of games, but for me, it’s about the little things and the little details. We’re close, but we’re not where I want us to be just yet. When we get to where I want us to be, we’re really going to be firing.”

Junior defender Ryan Kellogg and sophomore goalkeeper Steven Tekesky earned assists on Larmond’s first goal. Tekesky’s assist was the first of his career.