Box Score

INDIANA, PA - Stephanie Bianco (King of Prussia/Upper Merion) scored a team-high four goals and grabbed six draw controls but a strong second half by Mercyhurst proved to be too much for the 14th-ranked Crimson Hawks as IUP lost to the Lakers 14-11 in a battle of two women's lacrosse teams tied for second place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).

IUP built an 8-5 halftime lead and scored the first two goals of the second half to go on top by five before the Lakers began chipping away, eventually taking the lead with 15:03 remaining.

The Crimson Hawks got on the board first with a goal by Beth Glasshagel (Coram, NY/Newfield) off a pass from Becca Vogt (Hamburg, NY/Frontier) less than three minutes in, adding another a minute later when Alexa Lodovici (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern Regional) found the back of the net to go on top 2-0. Mercyhurst responded with a pair of goals just 14 seconds a part, tying the game at the 22:09 mark.

In what proved to be a back-and-forth first half, IUP picked up the next two goals after a nearly 10-minute scoring draught, as Lodovici found Michelle Zakrzewski (Purcellville, VA/Loudoun Valley) for both, putting the Crimson Hawks on top 4-2 with 12:55 left.

Mercyhurst (8-4, 6-1) narrowed it to one with a goal at the 11:26 mark before IUP went on a 3-0 run, getting a pair of goals by Bianco and another from Lodovici to take a 7-3 lead with just over four minutes remaining before halftime. The Lakers then picked up a pair of goals, with another by Bianco sandwiched in the middle, as IUP took its three-goal lead into the break.

Lodovici and Bianco made it a 10-5 game less than two minutes into the second half as IUP appeared to be rolling. But after nearly seven scoreless minutes, the Lakers went on a 9-0 run, scoring their final goal with 8:30 left to take a 14-10 lead.

IUP would get multiple looks at the net during the final stretch, as Corinne Miller (Hamburg, NY/Frontier) added a goal with 5:27 left to pull the Crimson Hawks to within three. The Lakers would then control the ball and play keep away most of the final five minutes, securing the comeback win.

Five different players scored goals for the Lakers, led by Anna Legrett who had five. Jenny Perkins notched eight saves in the net for Mercyhurst.

Along with Bianco's four goals and six draw controls, she also picked up two ground balls and caused a turnover. Lodovici had a game-high six points, scoring three goals with three assists, adding three ground balls. Defensively, Miller had four caused turnovers while Chelsey Hipp (Clarksville, MD/Good Counsel) went the entire way in the net, posting six saves.

The Crimson Hawks (8-3, 5-2) return to the field on Saturday with another big game as they travel to Erie to face Gannon (7-5, 5-2). Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.