Bethlehem, PA - In the season opener for both Lehigh and Manhattan, the Mountain Hawks topped the visiting Jaspers 1-0 on Friday night at Ulrich Sports Complex.
Senior Goalkeeper Marcellin Gohier (Nantes, Frances / CENS) began his senior season with a dazzling performance between the pipes, facing twenty shots and making seven saves.
Lehigh (1-0) scored in 55th minute as Trevor Koski deflected a Nick Jennings free kick into the back of the net.
Manhattan started and finished strong. The Jaspers had the first three shots of the game, including a pair of shots in the 10th minute from junior Berti Fourrier. (Marseile, France / IFC Marseile) In the 16th minute, junior Moritz Riegel (Hannover, Germany / Leibniz Universität Hannover) unleashed a strong free kick that forced Lehigh keeper Will Smith to make a diving save.
In the final minute, Gohier came up to take a free kick just over midfield and sent a dangerous ball into the box that produced a corner. The Jaspers' corner was loose in the box momentarily before Smith was able to corral the ball and end the game.
Manhattan (0-1) continues their season opening six game road trip closer to home next week, as they travel to Queens to take on St. John's out of the Big East at 7:30 on September 6.
Inside the Numbers
- Manhattan last 11 losses have all come by a single goal, dating back to the 2017 season. The last time a team beat the Jaspers by more than one goal was September 20, 2017 when Fordham downed Manhattan 3-0
- Gohier's seven saves were the most he has made since November 1, 2017 against Canisus when he also made seven stops
- Senior Callum Carsley (Birmingham, England / Princethorpe College) led the way for the Jaspers with three shots, while Fourrier had two shots.
- Four players made their Manhattan debut, including three in the starting lineup. Junior Francois Dulysse (Greenacres, FL / UCF) started and played all 90 minutes, while Riegel had a shot on goal in his 77 minutes on the pitch. Sophomore Joseph Koroma (Harlem, NY / City College) and freshman Johan Velez (New Rochelle, NY / New Rochelle) also made appearances for the Kelly Green and White.
- Friday's game marked the first time Manhattan has lost their season opener since 2016.
"Really proud of everyone's performance, the boys' effort and energy was there for all 90 minutes against a top Patriot League program. Marcellin was exceptional in net, that was huge for us. We used a lot of younger players tonight and now we just have to build upon this performance and get ready for a really talented St. John's team."
Head Coach Jorden Scott.