Box Score

INDIANA, PA - Anouk Sickman (Antwerp, Belgium/Lazac Cellepe) had the go-ahead goal late in the first half and Nicole Bruce (Clarks Summit/Lackawanna Trail) tallied a pair of assists as the 4th-ranked IUP field hockey team upset top-ranked and previously undefeated Shippensburg 3-1 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action Wednesday night.

WIth the lights shining bright on Miller Stadium, the stage was set for a showdown of national powers, and the contest did not disappoint, as both teams came out extremely sharp on both ends of the field. Shippensburg was able to break the seal on the game at the 16:01 mark when Sam Langone took a rebound off IUP goalie Sarah Lemieux (Dublin, OH/Dublin Coffman) and knocked in the goal to give the Raiders a 1-0 lead, but it would not take long for the Crimson Hawks to respond.

Just four minutes later, Bruce would send a pass just wide of the Shippensburg goal, but Brielle Mackey (Coopersburg/Southern Lehigh) was in the right spot to redirect the shot into the back of the cage to knot the game at 1-1 with  14:46 to play in the first period.

The moment of match came with just five minutes remaining in the half when Shippensburg was awarded a penalty shot and an opportunity to regain the lead. Bre White's shot was on target to the ride side of the cage, but Lemieux was there to turn away the attempt and preserve the 1-1 tie. The play was just one of many fantastic moments in the game for Lemieux, who notched five saves and allowed just one goal in 70 minutes of work for the Crimson Hawks.

With the tie intact and momentum swinging back in IUP's favor, it would not take long for the Crimson Hawks to cash in. As time ran down in the period, Bruce would again find herself with a chance to make a play from the point. She ripped a shot at the Shippensburg net, and it was Sickman's turn to redirect the effort, punching it past the Shippensburg goalkeeper to give IUP a 2-1 lead that they would take into halftime. As a team, IUP outshot the Raiders 6-4 in the first stanza.

With just a one-goal lead and an entire half yet to play, an insurance goal was at a premium, and the Crimson Hawks would waste little time in finding one. Just three minutes into the period, Alicia Straining (Harrisburg/Central Dauphin) intercepted a Shippensburg clear attempt and drove a screaming shot into the back of the cage to give IUP a 3-1 lead with 31:16 to play in the game.

From there, the IUP defense would take over, limiting the Raiders to just two second-half shots. Shippensburg did have several chances to cut the lead in half late in the game thanks to a pair of penalty corners and a shot from Jamie Levy, but the Crimson Hawks were able to withstand the assault and hang on for the most significant win in head coach Gary Agard's tenure at IUP.

With the win, the Crimson Hawks snap Shippensburg's four-year, 29 game winning streak against PSAC West opponents that dates back to October 11, 2008. In that game, IUP was once again victorious by a count of 3-1. The Crimson Hawks improve to 6-2, 3-0 in the PSAC West with the win, while Shippensburg drops to 7-1, 1-1 in the division.

IUP hits the road this Saturday to take on Mercyhurst at 5:00 p.m. before returning home on September 25 to host Seton Hill at 4:00 p.m.