INDIANA, Pa. – In a game that featured a pair of regionally ranked squads battling for playoff positioning within the Pennsylvanian State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western division, IUP women's lacrosse rose up to the challenge and earned an impressive 20-8 triumph against visiting Slippery Rock on Saturday.
 
IUP (11-4, 9-1) has already clinched a spot in the conference tournament, picking up the team's fourth straight victory while providing some separation in the conference standings. The Crimson Hawks are second within the PSAC West at 9-1 overall in the league, chasing Seton Hill for the top spot with the regular season winding down. If the season ended today, IUP would face Slippery Rock (9-6, 5-5) again in the first round of the conference tournament. 
 
IUP took control from the get-go, finding the back of the net less than three minutes in during the wire-to-wire victory. The Crimson Hawks recognized seniors Sami Shutt, Jordan Kulp and Maggie Marsteller, all playing a factor in the victory.
 
IUP held a 32-22 edge in shots and went 17-of-19 on the clear, holding SRU to 10-of-14 on clearing attempts.
 
Chantal Jimenez fired home seven goals on nine shots, adding four draw controls in the victory. Rylee Wilson secured her 100th career draw control in the opening half, becoming the 13th player in program history to surpass the milestone. Kulp posted six points on two goals and four assists, all adding up to a decisive victory for the Crimson Hawks, which used a stretch of nine unanswered goals to pull ahead comfortably.
 
Defensively, Wilson and Marsteller notched three ground balls and two turnovers each and Maddy Schramm tallied six saves in just over 50 minutes of action between the pipes. Wilson posted eight draw controls on the afternoon, her fourth consecutive outing with five or more.
 
IUP jumped out to a 3-0 lead with Macenzie Haragos, Kulp and Jimenez pushing IUP to an early advantage, thanks in large part to the Hawks' ability at the draw control circle and clearing defense. The Hawks later used another three-goal swing in the first with markers from Jimenez, Brenna Whiteside and Kathryn Burke got a 6-1 edge. SRU got two back going into the second, slicing the deficit to 6-3.
 
The Crimson Hawks outscored SRU by a 5-1 margin in the second quarter for a 10-4 halftime advantage. Emme Mass sliced in for the initial marker of the second quarter, coming at the 9:29 mark before Kulp, Hragos, Whiteside and Burke followed suit.
 
SRU began the scoring in the second half before IUP reeled off nine consecutive goals that spanned the third quarter and into the fourth. Jimenez dropped in tallies in rapid fire succession at 12:54 and 12:15, both unassisted. Leah Moyer began the running clock with her 27th of the campaign at 5:47 before Jimenez added another stretch of consecutive goals in the third at 3:45 and 0:47.
 
Jimenez capped the IUP scoring at 7:40 in the fourth, cashing in off a feed from Kulp for her 27th of the year. SRU rounded out the game with the last three goals, including one final marker from the team's leading scorer, Lauren Searles. IUP held Searles in check throughout the game, limiting her to just three shot attempts.
 
Up Next
IUP plays its regular season home finale against division leading and 23rd-ranked Seton Hill on Wednesday, April 26 at 4:00 p.m.
 
Follow
For coverage of the IUP women's lacrosse program, follow the Crimson Hawks on Twitter and Instagram @IUPlacrosse and online at IUPAthletics.com.