Box Score

INDIANA, PA - Despite a team-high three goals from Colleen Berlin (Baltimore, MD/Institute of Notre Dame) and a sterling first-half defensive effort from the Crimson Hawks back line, the IUP lacrosse team suffered their first defeat of the 2013 campaign with a 15-8 loss to Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) rival West Chester Saturday.

The loss ends the longest-winning streak to start a season in program history for the Crimson Hawks, and propels the Golden Rams into a first place tie in the tightly contested PSAC standings with a perfect 8-0 conference record. IUP sits in third place in the PSAC with a record of 8-1.

Trailing 3-1 early in the first half, the Crimson Hawks stormed back to knot it at 3-3 thanks to goals from Berlin and Sarah Ward (Murrysville/Franklin Regional ). The game would not stay level for long, however, as West Chester ripped off four straight goals over the next five minutes to take a 7-3 lead with 1:19 to play in the half.

Brittney Palardy (Perry Hall, MD/Perry Hall) would pull the Crimson Hawks to within three when she found the back of the net with just 32 seconds to play in the half, but a Tori Dugan goal with just 16 seconds remaining would send the Golden Rams into the break with an 8-4 lead.

West Chester would extend its lead to eight midway through the second stanza thanks to a pair of goals from Sarah Dennison, but the Crimson Hawks would not go down quietly. Back-to-back goals from Alexa Lodovici (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern Regional) and Michelle Zakrzewski (Purcellville, VA/Loudoun Valley) sliced the deficit to just six with 17 minutes to play in the period, and a late goal from Berlin would keep IUP within punching distance.

The Golden Rams would not put the contest out of reach until the 3:43 mark of the second half, when Lauren Glassey deposited a goal to give West Chester a 15-7 lead with under four to play. Glassey led the way for the Golden Rams with four goals on 10 shots, while Jamie Dolan posted four goals and an assist.

Berlin paced the Crimson Hawks with three goals on just six shots, while Palardy, Ward, Lodovici, Zakrzewski and Amy Weinberg (Clarksville, MD/Atholton) all tallied goals for IUP. Chelsey Hipp (Clarksville, MD/Good Counsel) and Kaitlin Sterling (Cranberry Twp./Seneca Valley) split time in the net for the Crimson Hawks and combined for five saves.

IUP is back in action this Tuesday at Lock Haven, before returning home on April 27 to wrap up the regular season against Gannon. Tuesday's action is slated to begin at 4:00 p.m.