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Lehigh Mountain Hawks

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The Lehigh Mountain Hawks are the athletic teams representing Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States. The Engineers participate in NCAA Division I competition as a member of the Patriot League. In football, Lehigh competes in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), still frequently known by its former designation of Division I-AA.

Lehigh's athletic teams are known as the Engineers up until the 1995-1996 academic year. Contrary to popular belief, this name was a reference to the Lehigh Railroad, not to the school's academic engineering program.[1] During the school's 1988 appearance in the Men's NCAA basketball tournament, TV commentators were encouraged to refer to the school by its colors, Brown and White. Until 1995, the team used a logo of a train locomotive with an "L" on the front. In November 1995, the school introduced the Mountain Hawk as a mascot replacing the "L train", citing Lehigh's lack of a character to personify its sports teams. The following year, the teams name itself was thus changed by a vote of the Student Senate to the Engineers, though many alumni and students, including Lehigh's Marching 97, still object. [1] The school still lists all three nicknames in its media guides. In November 2008, just before the 144th game against Lafayette, the mascot was given the name "Clutch." The name was chosen after a long contest of name suggestions and voting.

Lehigh is especially known for its football rivalry with Lafayette College, the most frequently-played matchup in college football history.

Baseball and softball

Lehigh has very successful programs in both baseball (men) and softball (women), having won both Patriot League titles in 2006 and advancing to the NCAA playoffs.

Basketball

Lehigh is also competitive in men's and women's basketball. Both teams play in Stabler Arena. The men's and women's teams both won the Patriot League championship in 2010. The Men's team went on to the NCAA Tournament, losing in the first round to top-ranked University of Kansas.

Football

The varsity football team competes at the Division I FCS level. Lehigh is a highly respected FCS program with a rich tradition. Lehigh won the 1977 Division II National Championship by defeating Jacksonville State 33-0 in the Pioneer Bowl. The Engineers were 1980 1-AA National Runners-up after falling to Eastern Kentucky in the title game. Lehigh has nine Patriot League Championships, which is the most amongst league members. The program has also enjoyed seven FCS playoff appearances: 1980, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2010. [2]

Lehigh is also part of the most played rivalry in college football. The Mountain Hawks have met the Lafayette Leopards 146 times. Lafayette leads the all-time series 76-65-5.[3] The game is traditionally played on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

Football games are well-attended at Lehigh's Goodman Stadium which has been voted the best place to watch a Patriot League football game for the past six years.[2] Tailgate parties are a big part of the experience, attracting many students and alumni who attend the games.

Soccer

Both the men's and women's teams are highly competitive. The 2006 Men's team had a 15-2-3 overall record and became the first Patriot League team to go a perfect 7-0 in league play. They advanced to the third round of the NCAA play-offs before losing to the number one seed.

The Women's team was Patriot League co-champion in 2005 and is coached by Manny Oudin.

Wrestling

Lehigh's wrestling team competes in the EIWA. Lehigh has a strong tradition in wrestling, and often wins the league and places in the top 10 at the NCAA championships. Lehigh is considered one of the best private schools in the country for wrestling, having had 26 national NCAA individual champions and 121 All Americans. Its last national champion was Zach Rey.

Lehigh graduates coach wrestling at many institutions including Jason Kutz (1998), head wrestling coach at East Stroudsburg University; Chris Ayres (1999), head wrestling coach at Princeton University; Cory Cooperman (2006), assistant wrestling coach at Rutgers University; Troy Letters (2006) and Derek Zinck (2006), assistant wrestling coaches at Princeton University.

In 2006, the Lehigh wrestling team marked their fifth straight EIWA championship. The current head coach is Pat Santoro and the team's home in Grace Hall is often referred to as "The Snakepit".

Lacrosse

Lehigh's lacrosse team competes in the seven-team Patriot League. The Mountain Hawks have a strong tradition in lacrosse, though they have not appeared in any of the present NCAA championships since its formation in 1971. Lehigh has accumulated seven national lacrosse titles under the former USILA national title format and strongly contributed to the growth of lacrosse in Pennsylvania. [4]

References

  1. ^ Blockus, Gary R. (November 8, 1995). "Lehigh Gets An Actual Mascot Engineers Have Been Joined By Mountain Hawks". The Morning Call. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  2. ^ http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_iaa/patriot/lehigh/index.php
  3. ^ http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_iaa/patriot/lehigh/opponents_records.php?teamid=1667
  4. ^ "United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Team Championship Records". Wikipedia.

See Also

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