Women's Lacrosse Ends Its Season With Loss in PSAC Semifinals to West Chester
May 1, 2007
WEST CHESTER, Pa. — The Shippensburg women's lacrosse team endured a difficult test on the road against No. 1-seeded West Chester, and the Lady Raiders suffered a loss in the semifinals of the PSAC Women's Lacrosse Championship, 24-4.
The loss concludes the season for Shippensburg (8-10), who reached the conference semifinals for the third time in the last four seasons.
West Chester (17-1), ranked No. 3 in the latest IWLCA Coaches’ Poll, raced out to a 10-0 lead in the first 15 minutes of the game, including four goals from Stephanie Kienle. The Lady Raiders would muster their first goal of the game at 16:11, when Sandy Sigel found the back of the net for her eighth goal of the season.
Junior Kristin Crutchfield (Eldersburg, Md./Liberty) recorded a goal with 1:36 remaining in the half, but the Golden Rams led 16-2 at intermission.
Crutchfield scored her second goal of the game to open the second half, yet West Chester would reel off seven consecutive tallies to clinch the victory.
Crutchfield finished the season leading the team with an impressive 53 goals in just 15 games for a 3.53 goals per game average. That mark is good enough for third in the conference, behind West Chester's Jackie Baker and Kienle.
Crutchfield also shared the team lead in assists with junior Katie Irwin (Aston/Cardinal O'Hara), as each recorded 11 this season.
The Lady Raiders recorded their fourth goal of the game off the stick of Irwin with 5:13 remaining before West Chester's Stephanie Bell rounded out the scoring in the final minute.
Irwin finished the season with 24 goals, while junior Kelly Smith (Crownsville, Md./Old Mill) finished the season with 23 and sophomore Hannah Sperber (Millersville, Md./Severna Park) finished with 22.
Despite the loss, freshman goaltender Lauren Marron (Macungie/Emmaus) registered an impressive 17 saves, three short of her career-high set in the season-opener this year at IUP. For the season, Marron recorded 157 saves and had all eight of the team's victories in goal.
The Golden Rams will host No. 2-seed Lock Haven on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. in the finals of the PSAC Women's Lacrosse Championship. The Lady Eagles defeated Bloomsburg in Tuesday's other PSAC semifinal contest, 21-10.
- Lady Raider Lacrosse -
