IUP Crimson Hawks vs. Seton Hill Griffins & Mercyhurst Lakers
IUP Crimson Hawks (3-3-0, 2-3-0 PSAC West)  vs. Seton Hill Griffins (4-4-0, 3-2-0 PSAC West), Mercyhurst Lakers (3-2-1, 2-2-0 PSAC West)
 
The Game
Game 7 | Wednesday, Oct. 2, 4 p.m. | IUP vs. Seton Hill | South Campus Field | Live Stats | Twitter Updates
Game 8 | Saturday, Oct. 5, 1:30 p.m. | IUP vs. Mercyhurst | South Campus Field | Live Stats | Twitter Updates
   
WEEKLY NOTES
 
CRIMSON HAWKS RETURN HOME FOR PAIR OF CONFERENCE MATCHES
The IUP women's soccer team (3-3-0, 2-3-0 PSAC West) will return to the friendly confines of the South Campus Fields for a pair of PSAC West matches this week at home against Seton Hill and Mercyhurst. The Crimson Hawks will begin the homestead by hosting Seton Hill (4-4-0, 3-2-0 PSAC West) on Wednesday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. IUP will welcome the Mercyhurst Lakers to town on Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m.
 
On the Pitch
>> The Crimson Hawks are looking to bounce back from a tough week that saw the team drop two matches away from home to Slippery Rock (3-1), and Pitt-Johnstown (2-0).
>> After managing the find the back of the net in their previous five matches, the Crimson Hawks were shutout for the first time this season on Saturday at Pitt-Johnston.
>> IUP will be looking to put some pressure on their two opponents this week, as the Crimson Hawks currently sit just three points back of both Seton Hill and Mercyhurst in the PSAC West standings.
>> The Griffins and Lakers are currently tied for third in the West division with nine points a piece so far this season.
 
Last Time Out
>> The Crimson Hawks were edged out 2-1 by Seton Hill when the Griffins visited Indiana last year.
>> The Crimson Hawks return four starters from last year's match; Mahogany Willis, Madeline Smakulski, Mya Hilliard, and Megan Woodworth.
>> When IUP and Mercyhurst met last season the Crimson Hawks scored a 2-0 shutout victory on the road in Erie.
>> Mahogany Willis scored both goals for IUP in that game.
>> Goalkeeper Madeline Smakulski made 10 saves to earn the shutout victory last year.

Series History
>> IUP is 1-3 against the Griffins in their last four meetings.
>> The Crimson Hawks last scored a victory against Seton Hill in 2012.
>> The Crimson Hawks and Lakers have been fairly evenly matched over the last decade. The Crimson Hawks hold a slight edge in that time with a record of 4-3-2 against Mercyhurst.
>> The Crimson Hawks have only suffered one defeat when hosting the Lakers since the 2010 season.

Home Comforts
>> The Crimson Hawks are 3-0 this season at home.
>> IUP has outscored their opponents 9-1 in those three matches.
>> The Crimson Hawks dominance at home this season marks an improvement over last year's home struggles. The Crimson Hawks have already earned more home wins this season (3) than they did all of last season (2).
>> Both of the shutouts that the Crimson Hawks have earned this season have come at the friendly confines of the South Campus Fields.
 
Willis Remains Top of the Charts
 >> Despite the losses against Slippery Rock and Pitt-Johnston, sophomore forward Mahogany Willis was still able to add to her league-leading goal tally this past week.
>> Willis currently has nine goals and nineteen points to lead the PSAC in both of those categories. She also leads the league in shots with 29.
>> Willis is also tied for fifth in all of NCAA Division II in total goals, and is seventh in total points in the nation.
 
Freshman Debut
>> Freshman defender Bella Decicco made her competitive debut for the Crimson Hawks this past week.
>> Decicco saw action against both Slippery Rock and Pitt-Johnston, and played a season high 26 minutes against the Mountain Cats.
>> She becomes the 30^th player to contribute to the IUP cause so far this year.
 
A Rock at the Back
>> Junior defender Makenzie Witzel has appeared in and started all six games for IUP this season.
>> Witzel has played the most minutes this season of any IUP outfield player.
>> With the exception of IUP's first match against Glenville State College, Witzel has played every minute of every game this season for the Crimson Hawks defense.
 
Safe Hands
>> The Crimson Hawks currently rank in the top ten in the PSAC in several key defensive categories. The IUP defense ranks third in the league in saves with a total of 50. The Crimson Hawks also rank sixth in save percentage (.862) in the conference.
 
Coaches
>> IUP: Adel Heder (19th year; 206-125-23)
>> Seton Hill: Zak Kruger (1^st year; 4-4-0)
>> Mercyhurst: Jon Arlet (2^nd year; 11-11-2)

Opponents
>> Seton Hill ended the 2018 season with an overall record of 12-5-1, and a conference record of 11-4-1.
>> The Griffins ended the regular season in 6^th place in the PSAC standings.
>> Seton Hill and Mercyhurst met over this part weekend with the Lakers coming out on top by a score of 1-0.
>> The Lakers finished last season in 11^th place in the PSAC standings with an overall record of 8-9-1, and a record of 6-9-1 in PSAC play.
>> The Lakers will face Clarion on Wednesday night before they travel to Indiana to take on the Crimson Hawks.
>> Alyssa Otto who has six goals and one assist so far this season for a total of thirteen points leads the Mercyhurst offense.
>> The Seton Hill offense features the dual threat of Italia Biondi and Katie Kimmich. Both players have twelve points so far this season. Biondi has four goals and four assists, while Kimmich has five goals and two assists.