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Lenke Havas was a force on offense for Lehigh on Sunday afternoon, and the Mountain Hawks (1-1) rode past Longwood Women’s Field Hockey 3-2 behind a career day from the fifth-year senior.

Havas tallied all three of her team’s goals for her first career hat trick, with her third goal proving to be decisive late in the third quarter. She banged home a penalty stroke with six minutes to play in the quarter, and Lehigh’s backline managed to hang on against a ferocious Longwood (1-1) rally in the final 15 minutes.

Luna Lopez and Kate Frey each found the back of the cage for a Longwood side that was aggressive in the second half after struggling to unlock the reigning Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year in Maddie Kahn in the opening 30 minutes. The Lancers ripped off eight shots in the fourth quarter alone, forcing Kahn to make four saves as they outshot Lehigh 15-9 for the match with nine shots on goal.

Penalty corners proved to be pivotal for the two teams, with both sides scoring two goals apiece off corners. After Havas hit a low shot on a penalty corner into the back of the cage in the first quarter for an early 1-0 Lehigh lead, the two defenses locked down and snuffed out other opportunities. The two offenses combined for one shot in the second quarter.

After halftime, things opened up when Lopez slotted home her first goal of the season on a penalty corner off a direct feed from Jamie Wright to even the score at one.

Havas struck right back, driving home a low show off a penalty corner six minutes later to re-establish the Lehigh lead. She added her penalty stroke for the hat trick less than three minutes later.

The Lancers regrouped and charged ahead in the fourth, with Frey batting home a rebound past Kahn on a penalty corner with less than seven minutes to go, but the Mountain Hawks held on.

Longwood returns to Farmville for the team’s home opener on Friday night to host Towson at 5 p.m. at Elizabeth Burger Jackson Field.