INDIANA, Pa. – Senior forward
Lexie Palluconi (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) scored two goals to help IUP women's soccer to the program's eighth straight victory, a 5-1 win over Mercyhurst at South Campus Field on Wednesday.
The eight-match win streak sets a new program record as the Crimson Hawks improved to 12-4 overall and 11-4 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). The previous record was seven straight during the 19-4 conference championship season of 2004.
The Crimson Hawks will have a chance to equal that accomplishment as they've already clinched a spot in the upcoming PSAC tournament heading into the final weekend of the regular season.
Joining Palluconi in the scoring column on Wednesday was
McKenna Keffel (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon),
Gabriella Lonzo (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) and
Carley Donia (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca).
Brandie Bryant (Essex, Md./Eastern Technical), Donia, and Keffel each had an assist.
Keffel's goal came in the 15th minute, answering Mercyhurst's match-opening score less than two minutes prior. Lonzo gave the Crimson Hawks a 2-1 in the 27th while Palluconi gave IUP a 3-1 lead before halftime with a penalty kick in the 34th.
Palluconi scored her team-leading seventh goal in the 55th minute, following a shot by Lonzo that hit the left post.
Donia added an insurance goal in the 81st, taking a cross by Keffel from the right and easily poking it to the back of the net.
Freshman goalie
Madeline Smakulski (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg Area High School) rebounded from that early Mercyhurst goal to post a season-high eight saves and improve to 8-1 on the year.
Up next
The Crimson Hawks are still playing for home field advantage in the quarterfinals of the PSAC tournament as they head to division-leading West Chester (14-2, 12-2) on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m.
PSAC standings
IUP is currently holding on to the fourth seed with 33 points in the standings, one behind East Stroudsburg (34) and one up on Gannon (32). A win on Saturday will clinch a home game in Tuesday's quarterfinals.
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's soccer on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPsoccer.
