Lady Raider Lacrosse Opens 2007 Season With 17-13 Loss at IUP
Mar. 21, 2007
INDIANA, Pa. -
The Shippensburg lacrosse team, under first-year head coach Naomi Radio, opened
its 2007 season at Indiana (Pa.) on Wednesday, but behind four goals each
from Brittany Pikur and Jackie Rutkowski, the Crimson Hawks handed the
Lady Raiders a 17-13 loss at Miller Stadium in the PSAC opener for both
teams.
Pikur and Rutkowski also added three and two assists, respectively, as IUP (1-1,
1-0 PSAC) won its first conference game since March 23, 2006, a span of 12 games,
when it defeated East Stroudsburg at home, 16-8. Indiana (Pa.) began its season
on Monday with a 12-8 loss at Saint Vincent.
Meanwhile, Shippensburg (0-1, 0-1 PSAC) was led by its leading returning scorer
from a year ago in junior Kristin Crutchfield (Eldersburg, Md./Liberty) as she
totaled five goals, one short of her career-high. Last season, she totaled 38
goals and six assists for a total of 44 points.
The loss was only the second for the Lady Raiders against IUP since the 2002
season as they have a mark of 7-2 against the Crimson Hawks during that time.
However, both losses have come at Miller Stadium.
Junior Kelly Smith (Crownsville, Md./Old Mill) also finished the game with five
points to set a new career-high as she totaled a career-high four goals and one
assist. She entered this season with 14 goals in two seasons with the Lady Raiders,
including a season-high 10 last year.
Wednesday's game was also the debut of freshman Lauren Marron (Macungie/Emmaus)in goal for Shippensburg and the first-year player totaled 20 saves in the game,
the highest single-game total by a Lady Raider since Kelby Vanous totaled 24
in a 1307 win at Bloomsburg on April 15, 2004.
Shippensburg opens its 2007 home schedule on Saturday when they host Slippery
Rock in PSAC contest at Robb Sports Complex beginning at 1:00 p.m.
- Lady Raider Lacrosse -
