ERIE, Pa. - Facing a must-win situation, the IUP field hockey team posted a 2-0 road victory over Mercyhurst Wednesday afternoon. 

The victory helped the Crimson Hawks keep the pace in the PSAC playoff race in the final week of the regular season. The Hawks remain tied with Mansfield and Slippery Rock for the sixth and final spot for the tournament with a 4-5 league record. 

The victory was also gave the Hawks their 10th win of the year, improving to 10-5 overall. This is the program's first 10-win season since 2016 (10-8) and the fourth over the last 10 seasons. 

The game was a scoreless struggle through most of the afternoon, although the Hawks dominated offensively by outshooting the Lakers 29-6 overall. 

The scoring came in the fourth as Rory Cahill was the first on the board with a goal from the top of the circle 2:57 into the quarter. Blaise Cugini followed less than two minutes later with her 10th goal of the season.

Amanda Zaner stopped both shots on goal. 

Up next
A playoff berth comes down to the regular season finale as the Hawks host No. 6 Kutztown Saturday night at 7 p.m. IUP will need a win and help to guarantee a spot in the postseason tournament. Mansfield plays at West Chester and Slippery Rock plays at Shippensburg on Saturday, both games start at 1 p.m.

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For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP field hockey on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPfieldhockey.
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