Lady Raider Lacrosse Evens Record With 14-8 Road Win at IUP
Apr. 10, 2006
INDIANA, Pa. - Senior Cristin Marron (Exton, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) and junior Kristen Crutchfield (Eldersburg, Md./Liberty) each scored three goals to lead the Shippensburg women's lacrosse team to a 14-8 victory over Indiana (Pa.) on Monday at Miller Stadium.
The win was the fourth in the last five games for the Lady Raiders (4-4, 3-3 PSAC) who have also won three of their last four conference games after the team began the season with three-straight losses, all three of which came to teams who are currently ranked in the top-10 in the latest STX/Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II Coaches' Poll.
Shippensburg, who remained unbeaten on the road this season at 3-0, built a 6-1 halftime lead and extended that lead in the second half, scoring 10 goals against Indian starting goalie Katie Lee in the game's first 36:30.
Led by Marron, Crutchfield and senior Kim Hudicka (Media, Pa./Penncrest), the Lady Raiders' top three scorers, Shippensburg moved into third-place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) standings behind Lock Haven and West Chester, both of whom are currently ranked in the nation at No. 4 and No. 6, respectively.
With her three goals Monday, Crutchfield raised her season total to a team-high 24, one ahead of Hudicka and one ahead of Marron. As a team, the Lady Raiders have scored 101 goals through eight games this year, already matching its season total in 15 games a year ago.
Shippensburg has also gotten much better defensively, allowing two goals less per game this year than it did in 2004. On Monday, senior Michelle Mangle (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Hubert Catholic) was credited with 10 saves, her fourth double-digit total this season and third in the last four games. She has totaled 48 of her 75 saves this year in the team's last five games.
IUP (3-5, 1-5 PSAC) battled the Lady Raiders to within one goal in the second half, but could not overcome its early deficit.
Sophomore Kelly Smith (Crownsville, Md./Old Mill) also tallied two goals for Shippensburg.
Kylie Miller, Kelly Kummerer and Mallory Zelawski each had two goals and an assist for the Indians.
Shippensburg returns home for a non-conference game with Wilmington (Delaware) at home on Thursday. Game time from Robb Sports Complex is at 4:00 p.m.
- Lady Raider Lacrosse -
