Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/22/21 – From Press Releases
Following a record-breaking weekend, Lehigh junior Mike Sisselberger (Southern Lehigh) was named Patriot League Faceoff Specialist of the Week on Monday for a third straight week and fourth time this season. The nation’s leader in faceoff percentage and groundballs, Sisselberger had an incredible two-game stretch, winning 44-of-52 faceoffs (84.6 percent) with 41 groundballs in a pair of victories over Lafayette.
On Friday, Sisselberger won 21-of-25 faceoffs and collected a program and Patriot League record 20 groundballs (breaking the record of 18 set by Loyola’s Bailey Savio in 2018). Then on Sunday, despite playing less than 48 hours prior, Sisselberger broke his own record, collecting 21 GBs (winning 23-of-27 faceoffs).
For the season, Sisselberger has won 79.6 percent of his faceoffs (152-of-191) with 113 groundballs.
Senior James Spence (Springfield-Delco) and sophomore Christian Mule’ also garnered honorable mention recognition on Monday. Spence made 12 saves on Friday then 10 more on Sunday. Mule’ finished the weekend with seven goals and three assists against the Leopards.
Now up to No. 6 in the Inside Lacrosse/Media Poll, the Mountain Hawks are 8-0 on the season, 7-0 in Patriot League play, and have clinched the No. 1 seed in next month’s Patriot League Tournament. Lehigh will close out its league slate on Saturday, hosting Bucknell at 12 p.m. on ESPN+.
Lehigh’s Dickey (Conestoga) Wins Sixth Patriot League Weekly Award of Season
For the sixth time in nine weeks this season, Lehigh women’s lacrosse graduate student Sondra Dickey (Conestoga) has won a Patriot League weekly award as on Monday, she was named the league’s Midfielder of the Week. Dickey filled up the stat sheet in Saturday’s 18-5 win at Lafayette, recording two goals, one assist, seven draw controls, a career-high six groundballs and career-high six caused turnovers.
In nine weeks of the regular season, Dickey has now been named Midfielder of the Week five times and Defensive Player of the Week once. Monday’s award marks Dickey’s 14th-career Patriot League weekly awards.
Dickey’s six caused turnovers Saturday was just one from tying the single-game program record. She is also up to 102 career caused turnovers, just one from tying and two from breaking the program record for a career. Dickey has 25 caused turnovers in nine games, as she now stands fourth nationally in caused turnovers per contest (2.78). She has 13 more caused turnovers than anyone else in the Patriot League.
After Lafayette scored its fourth goal with 8:38 left in the first half, Dickey and the Mountain Hawks shut-out the Leopards for the next 32:04 and allowed just one goal over the game’s final 38:38. Dickey and the defense allowed just 10 shots on goal for the game. On the season, Dickey owns 28 goals, 32 points, 27 groundballs, 25 caused turnovers and 40 draw controls.
Senior Samantha Sagi and sophomore Gabby Schneider were also named as honorable mention on the Patriot League weekly honor roll. Sagi made five saves, allowing just five goals. She stopped four-of-five shots in the second half to hold the Leopards to a season-low five goals. Meanwhile, Schneider recorded three goals and three assists, her fifth straight game with at least four points.
William Smith’s Montgomery (Rancocas Valley-NJ) named Liberty Defensive POW for 3rd time
William Smith College senior Mekayla Montgomery (Rancocas Valley-NJ) backstopped William Smith’s defensive effort in a weekend sweep of RIT to earn her second straight Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honor and third this year. She finished the weekend with 13 draw controls, six caused turnovers and six ground balls. On Friday, she had an assist in a 16-11 win over the Tigers. She won seven draws, scooped up two ground balls and had a caused turnover.
On senior day, Montgomery stepped up her effort and had four ground balls five caused turnovers and six draw controls in a 12-8 victory. Montgomery and the Heron defense limited the Liberty League’s leading scorer, who game into the weekend averaging five goals per game, to just six goals on the weekend. Montgomey leads the team with 34 ground balls, 23 caused turnovers and 34 draw controls.
