INDIANA, Pa. – In a league that has consistently seen seven programs ranked among the top 10 nationally, cracking the top six is no small feat. IUP did just that, earning the six seed in the 2023 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament and beginning the postseason on Tuesday afternoon at Kutztown.
The Tuesday quarterfinals feature a matchup between No. 3 seed Kutztown and No. 6 seed IUP scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Kutztown, with the other matchup between No. 4 seed and host Mansfield and No. 5 seed Bloomsburg scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
SETTING THE SCENE
With seeding not decided until the final day of the regular season, IUP got into the conference tournament with a 4-5 mark in league play. The Hawks earned the final spot ahead of perennial power West Chester with a head-to-head victory against the Golden Rams back in mid-October, advancing to the postseason via tiebreaker.
The Hawks are making their 10th postseason appearance in program history and just the second since the 2016 season. Tuesday's playoff matchup marks the first for second-year head coach
Kelly Terwilliger, who took over the program prior to the 2022 campaign.
IUP is seeking its first postseason victory since 2012, a 1-0 victory against Slippery Rock. The winner of the IUP/Kutztown matchup faces Shippensburg on Friday, November 3. Tickets for the game and parking information can be found at the link below.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
QUICK NOTES/STORYLINES
- Despite several chances down the stretch, IUP was shutout over the last three conference games of the regular season, all against top-10 opponents. The Hawks have dropped three of the last four, but did enough to get into the conference tournament despite a 1-0 setback in the regular season finale at East Stroudsburg.
- IUP finished out the home portion of the regular season schedule with a 2-1 win against Frostburg State on October 24 at MilStadium. Devon Johnson and Lauren Horning each logged their first collegiate goals in the contests, with Horning's holding up to be the game-winning tally late in the third quarter.
- Jess Davidson has built off an outstanding first season with the Crimson Hawks as a sophomore in 2023. The sophomore has 11 goals and four game-winners in 2023, accounting for 55% of the team's goal output with the squad continually searching for a secondary source of scoring.
- Davidson ranks fifth in the PSAC in goals/game (.73) and sixth in the league in points/game (1.47). Davidson boasts 49 career points with 23 goals and three assists since arriving on campus in 2022.
- Only a sophomore, Davidson's 49 career points rank tied for 15th in program history, matching Bethany Capula's output from 1998-2001. She is just four points shy of matching four-year contributor Blaise Cugini from 14th.
- Davidson's 23 career goals rank 10th in program history, continuing to climb up the IUP record book in scoring. She is three goals shy of matching Noelle Bowman (26) for ninth in program history.
- ESU struck late in the regular season finale against IUP, finding the back of the net with just 39 seconds left in regulation.
- Kutztown, ranked third nationally at the time, recorded a 5-0 win against IUP on September 30 at Miller Stadium. KU gained control early with a pair of goals in the first quarter before putting the game out of reach with three more markers in the fourth.
- IUP boasts a relatively young roster in 2023 with just two seniors on the roster in leaders Rory Cahill and Claire Murphy.
- IUP has had a steady hand in goal this season, needing to fill the shoes of the graduating Amanda Zaner in cage. The Hawks have turned to Converse transfer Anita Planella, who has 47 saves at IUP and 70 saves in her collegiate career. Her 1.62 GAA ranks 11th for a single season in program history.
- Sydney Schmouder has added three goals and one assist in her debut season for the IUP offense. Overall, the Crimson Hawks have eight different players with a goal in 2023 entering the playoffs.
- Sarah Gatehouse logged a pair of goals and an assist in the initial meeting with IUP in late September. Overall, KU held an 8-4 advantage in shots on the day.
- Kutztown enters the postseason with a six-game winning streak and an 8-1 mark at home this season. The Golden Bears lead the nation in goals against average (0.41), shutouts per game (0.76) and scoring margin (+2.94).
- Goalie Mia Kelper leads the nation in goals against average (.44), while the trio of Gatehouse, Breanna Craley and Erin Gonzalez are tied for the team lead with seven goals each.
- Kutztown has won five of the last six meetings with IUP. The Crimson Hawks posted a 1-0 road win in October 2021 on a deflection goal from Murphy in the fourth quarter.
FOLLOW
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP field hockey on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPfieldhockey.
