WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Despite a strong defensive effort against the third-ranked team in Division II, IUP couldn't muster enough offense in a 1-0 loss to West Chester in the first round of the 2016 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Women's Soccer Championships on Tuesday afternoon.
 
The loss ends the season for the Crimson Hawks, who finish with a 9-9-1 overall record. The PSAC tournament appearance was their 13th all-time and second in the last three seasons.
 
IUP entered as the eighth seed in the tournament, getting in on the final day with an 8-7-1 league mark. The Golden Rams (18-0) earned the tournament's top seed with a 16-0 record.
 
The Crimson Hawks took a scoreless tie into halftime, holding high-scoring West Chester to just a 4-3 shots on goal advantage. Senior goalie Jessica Printz (Fairfax, Va./WT Woodson) kept the Golden Rams off the board with three saves in the first 45 minutes, while sophomore defender Hannah Stoof (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) came up with a huge defensive save in the 18th minute of play.
 
IUP had the first good look in the second half, but a shot by senior forward Kiersten Zerbe (Danville, Pa. /Danville) hit the post in the 48th minute.
 
West Chester used a corner kick five minutes later to set up its first scoring chance, getting on the board with a header in the 54th minute.
 
The Crimson Hawks had several scoring chances down the stretch, but the tough West Chester defense that has given up five goals all season remained stout to keep IUP off the board and clinch the victory.
 
West Chester will now face fourth-seeded East Stroudsburg in the semifinals on Friday.
 
The nine win season was the 14th in the last 16 years under head coach Adel Heder, who has a 181-108-22 record since 2001. Junior forward Lexie Palluconi (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) led the team with eight goals, three assists and 19 points. Printz played every minute in the net, posting a 1.20 goals against average and a .783 save percentage. The Crimson Hawks outscored opponents 27-23 on the year.
 
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's soccer on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPsoccer.