ERIE, Pa. – Fighting temperatures in the 30's and blustery winds, the Crimson Hawks quest for a conference title ended with a 3-1 loss to Gannon in the quarterfinals of the 2017 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships on Tuesday.
Gannon advances to play top seed West Chester in the semifinals.
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IUP was making the program's 13th all-time PSAC tournament appearance, including its second straight, and was seeking its fourth league title.
The Crimson Hawks went into postseason play as the fifth seed in the tournament with an 11-5 record in PSAC play. Gannon earned the fourth seed and the right to host IUP in the quarterfinal round with an 11-3-2 conference record.
IUP will now await word from the NCAA on a possible Division II Atlantic Region Championships selection. The top six teams in each region are selected, with IUP holding onto the seventh spot in last week's rankings release. The Division II field will be announced on Nov. 6.
The match was tied at 1-1 after the first 45 minutes, with Gannon getting on the board in the 11th minute on a goal by Emily Cekella. It didn't take long for the Crimson Hawks to get that goal back, as
Gianna Parlavecchio (Florham Park, N.J./Hanover Park) took advantage of a Gannon defensive mistake in the 13th minute to score her fourth goal of the year.
With the Crimson Hawks moving into the wind in the second half, they were unable to mount much of an offensive threat with just three shots in the final 45 minutes. Gannon added goals in the 62nd and 85th minutes to seal the win and advance.
IUP freshman goalie
Madeline Smakulski (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg Area High School) saved seven shots in her 90 minutes in the net.
The Crimson Hawks now hope their 12-6 overall record is enough to continue their 2017 season.
Up next
Stay tuned to IUPAthletics.com and NCAA.com in the coming days for information on the 2017 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championships.
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's soccer on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPsoccer.
