IUP Crimson Hawks vs. Clarion Golden Eagles & Cal U Vulcans
IUP Crimson Hawks (4-4-0, 3-4-0 PSAC West) vs. Clarion Golden Eagles (1-7-0, 0-7-0 PSAC West), California University of Pennsylvania Vulcans (3-5-0, 2-5-0 PSAC West)
 
The Game
Game 9 | Wednesday, Oct. 9, 7 p.m. | IUP vs. Clarion | Memorial Stadium | Live Stats | Live Video | Twitter Updates
Game 10 | Saturday, Oct. 12, 12:00 p.m. | IUP vs. Cal U | Phillipsburg Soccer Facility | Live Stats | Twitter Updates
   
WEEKLY NOTES
 
CRIMSON HAWKS BEGIN SECOND HALF OF CONFERENCE PLAY ON THE ROAD
The IUP women's soccer team (4-4-0, 3-4-0 PSAC West) is back on the road this week for a pair of conference matches. The Crimson Hawks will open the week with a match at Clarion University against the Golden Eagles (1-7-0, 0-7-0 PSAC West) on Wednesday night. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. The Crimson Hawks will then begin the second half of their PSAC West schedule by heading to California, Pa. for a rematch with the Cal U Vulcans (1-7-0, 0-7-0 PSAC West) on Saturday, October 12^th. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. at the Phillipsburg Soccer Facility.
 
On the Pitch
>> The Crimson Hawks split their pair of home matches last week against Seton Hill and Mercyhurst. The Crimson Hawks opened the week with a defeat to Seton Hill (3-0), before bouncing back on Saturday afternoon to earn a big 2-1 victory over Mercyhurst on homecoming.
>> The Crimson Hawks victory on Saturday helped to snap a three game losing streak.
>> The IUP women's soccer team currently sits in sixth place in the PSAC West division with a total of nine points as we approach the halfway mark of conference play this week.
>> Cal U and Clarion currently occupy the bottom two spots in the PSAC West division. The Vulcans sit in eight place with six points, just three points behind the Crimson Hawks, while the Golden Eagles sit in ninth place and are still searching for their first points of the season.
 
Last Time Out
>> The Crimson Hawks scored a resounding 3-0 victory over Clarion when the two sides met last season.
>> Mahogany Willis scored two of IUP's three goals in the game last year.
>> Goalkeeper Madeline Smakulski made three saves to earn the shutout victory last season.
>> The Crimson Hawks defeated the Vulcans 3-1 when the two sides met earlier this year at the South Campus Field in Indiana, Pa.
>> The Crimson Hawks went up 2-0 on the Vulcans in that game courtesy of two Mahogany Willis goals before California pulled a goal back in the 73^rd minute. Junior defender Makenzie Witzel converted IUP's sole penalty kick of the season so far in the 85^th minute of the match to secure the win for IUP.
>> Smakulski made 10 saves in the game to earn the win for IUP.

Series History
>> IUP is 8-1 against Clarion since 2010.
>> The Golden Eagles earned their lone win in that period in 2017 courtesy of a 1-0 victory in Indiana.
>> The Crimson Hawks have shut out the Golden Eagles in five of their eight wins.
>> The Crimson Hawks and Vulcans have been fairly even over the last nine years. Each side had won three games during that time to go along with four ties between the two teams.
>> The Crimson Hawks last suffered a defeat to the Vulcans in 2014, with IUP having gone 3-0-2 in the last five meetings between the two teams.
 
In Search of Road Points
>> The Crimson Hawks will be looking for their first road points of the season this week. IUP is 0-3 on the road so far this year.
>> Despite their road struggles, the Crimson Hawks have managed to score in two of their three road losses.
 
Shoot on Sight
 >> The Crimson Hawks offense certainly isn't afraid to take a chance.
>> IUP currently ranks sixth in the conference with 75 shots on goal, and fifth in the PSAC with an average of 9.38 shots on goal per game.
>> With a total of 105 shots so far this season, the Crimson Hawks have focused on creating quality chances with their shots, as the team places 71.4% of their shots on goal.
>> Leading the way for the IUP offense is sophomore forward Mahogany Willis who has taken 40 shots this year, placing 28 of those shots on goal. She currently ranks second in the PSAC in shots taken, and first in shots on goal.
 
Scoring Threat
>> Willis continues to set the pace for the PSAC on the offensive end of things. She remains first in the league in multiple offensive categories.
>> Her 10 goals so far this season is currently the most in the league, and her 21 points this season (10 goals, 1 assist) is also first in the conference.
>> She is also tied for the league lead in game winning goals with three.
>> Her 10 goals so far this year is tied for fourth most in all of NCAA Division II.  
 
Strike First for Success
>> The Crimson Hawks are 4-1 this season when scoring first.
>> The Crimson Hawks rarely relinquish the lead  when they get on the board first, with Slippery being the only opponent so far this year to come from behind against IUP.
>> All four of IUP's victories this year have come in games in which the Crimson Hawks have opened the scoring in the match.

Quick Starts Help
>> The Crimson Hawks have scored within the first 15 minutes of the game in three of their eight matches so far this season.
>> IUP has notched goals in the 14^th, 5^th, and 4^th minutes of their games against Glenville State, Slippery Rock, and Mercyhurst respectively. IUP is 2-1 in those three matches.
 
Playing by the Rules
>> The Crimson Hawks have been one of the cleanest teams in the PSAC so far this season. IUP's 68 fouls committed so far this year is the fifth lowest in the league.
>> The Crimson Hawks 3 yellow cards this year, which is tied for the eight least in the conference so far.
 
Coaches
>> IUP: Adel Heder (19th year; 207-126-23)
>> Clarion: Afrim Latifi (1^st year; 1-7-0)
>> California: Pete Curtis (2^nd year; 4-19-2)

Opponents
>> Clarion ended the 2018 season with an overall record of 3-14-1, and a conference record of 2-14-0.
>> The Golden Eagles ended the year in 15^th place in the PSAC with a total of 6 points.
>> The Golden Eagles offense is led by Andie Hill and Madison Spitko. Both players have two goals so far this season for a total of four points.
>> Since the Crimson Hawks and Vulcans first met on September 11^th this year, the Vulcans have gone 2-4 in their ensuing six games.
>> The Vulcans will play Mercyhurst on Wednesday afternoon before they take on the Crimson Hawks on Saturday.