Marron Scores 100th Career Goal, Lady Raiders Post Season-High 16 Goals in Win
Apr. 24, 2006
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - After being outscored by 33 goals in its previous two contest, the Shippensburg women's lacrosse team scored a season-high 16 goals in picking up a crucial Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) victory over Bloomsburg, 16-10, to snap a two-game losing streak.
The victory was important because Bloomsburg entered the game in third-place in the PSAC standings with the top four teams qualifying for the conference championship tournament next week. Meanwhile, the Lady Raiders were in fifth-place, two games behind Millersville for the fourth and final playoff berth.
As a result of today's win, Shippensburg (6-6, 4-5 PSAC) is now half a game behind Millersville heading into Thursday's rematch at Millersville. Meanwhile, Bloomsburg has a real tough schedule to remain in the playoff picture as the Huskies must face No. 6-ranked Lock Haven twice this week on Wednesday and Thursday.
A win for the Lady Raiders over Millersville and two losses by Bloomsburg against Lock Haven would give Shippensburg a one-game lead over the Marauders and Huskies for the third-seed in the playoffs as the Lady Raiders would have a record of 5-5 in conference, and Millersville and Bloomsburg would each be 5-6.
However, Bloomsburg would have the edge against Millersville because the Huskies have beaten the Marauders twice this season. West Chester and Lock Haven have already secured the top two seeds in this year's conference championship.
As for today's game, the Lady Raiders outshot Bloomsburg 38-20 and received goals from seven different players in the six-goal victory. Six Lady Raiders scored at least two goals and junior Kristen Crutchfield (Eldersburg, Md./Liberty) tallied a game-high four goals while adding an assist.
On the season, Crutchfield has scored 35 goals, which ranks second on the team behind senior Kim Hudicka (Media, Pa./Penncrest), who scored three times in the game, giving her 36. Senior Cristin Marron (Exton, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) scored a pair of goals to boost her season total to 30.
With her first goal of the game, just 2:39 in off an assist by sophomore Brita Paul (Salisbury, Md./James Bennett), Marron became just the ninth player in school history to reach 100 career goals. She now has 101 to rank eighth on the Shippensburg career list. In four seasons with the Lady Raiders, Marron has scored 101 goals and 131 points.
Bloomsburg's Allison McFatridge scored an unassisted goal only 1:12 into the contest to give the Huskies a quick 1-0 lead before back-to-back goals from Crutchfield and Marron, which were scored just 10 seconds apart, gave Shippensburg a 2-1 lead. From that point, the game would be tied three times, but the Lady Raiders would never trail.
McFatridge scored off an assist from Megan Taylor at 24:21 to give Bloomsburg a 3-2 lead, but Crutchfield and Marron scored back-to-back goals for the second time in the first half to push the Lady Raiders ahead, 4-3.
Bloomsburg (5-9, 5-4 PSAC) scored two-straight goals to tie the game for the second time at 4-4 before each team netted one more each before the half as the game was tied at halftime.
Hudicka and Crutchfield each scored to start the second half to push the Lady Raiders' lead to two, but Ashley Childs answered for the Huskies only 34 seconds after Crutchfield's goal to pull her team within one, 7-6 with 28 minutes remaining.
Shippensburg then took control of the game with five-straight goals, all from different players, including one each from senior Lauren Wells (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) and sophomore Kelly Smith (Crownsville, Md./Old Mill), to lead 12-6 with 12:41 left.
The Lady Raiders extended the lead to eight, 15-7, with 5:44 remaining on goals from Wells, Smith and freshman Hannah Sperber (Millersville, Md./Severna Park).
Childs led Bloomsburg with three goals while Taylor added two goals and two assists.
Shippensburg travels to Millersville on Thursday at 4:00 p.m, looking for another crucial victory for the Lady Raiders' conference championship hopes.
- Lady Raider Lacrosse -
