GREENSBURG, Pa. – Solid defense and goalkeeper play kept the Crimson Hawks close, but IUP women's soccer dropped a 1-0 decision to 23rd-ranked Seton Hill on Wednesday at Dick's Sporting Goods Field.
 
IUP freshman netminder Makenzie Witzel (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone) finished with a season-high seven saves, nearly knocking off the nationally-ranked Griffins (4-1, 2-1 PSAC).
 
The Crimson Hawks fell to an even 3-3 overall on the season, and 2-3 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
 
IUP outshot Seton Hill 16-10 on the day, with nine shots on goal. The offensive action picked up more in the second 45 minutes, as both teams combined for 19 shots.
 
Seton Hill's Emily LoPresti ended the long scoring drought by tallying her fifth goal of the year in the 70th minute of the match, collecting a loose ball off a save by Witzel and depositing it into the top right corner of the net.
 
The Crimson Hawks had several chances in the final 20 minutes of play, with three combined shots by Gabriella Lonzo (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) and Gianna Parlavecchio (Florham Park, N.J./Hanover Park) over 54 seconds in the 77th and 78th minutes, but Seton Hill turned away each attempt.
 
Wednesday marked the fifth one-goal decision of the year, and third straight, for the Crimson Hawks, who have outscored opponents 6-5 in six matches this year. IUP goalies have a combined 0.82 goals against average and .800 save percentage.
 
Up next
The Crimson Hawks have another top opponent on tap for this weekend as they head to face East Stroudsburg (3-1-1, 3-1 PSAC) on Saturday afternoon.
 
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's soccer on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPsoccer.