INDIANA, PA – Ashley Mosner (Newton, NJ/Newton)’s goal midway through the second half proved to be the game-winner as the IUP field hockey team hung on for a 2-1 win over Millersville in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover action Saturday afternoon.
With rain consistently streaming down on the players and fans at Miller Stadium, goals were extremely tough to come by for both teams, but IUP was able to gain an advantage midway through the first period when Nicole Bruce (Clarks Summit/Lackawanna Trail) slipped past the Marauder defense and deposited the goal at the 17:01 mark.
The Crimson Hawks would take a 1-0 lead into the break, but Millersville would find an answer in the second half when Champayne Hess redirected a Rachel Dickinson shot to knot the game at 1-1 with 25 minutes to play in the game.
It would not take long for IUP to regain the lead, however, as Mosner took a pass from Bruce and knocked in the goal to give the Crimson Hawks a 2-1 lead at the 47:53 mark. From there the IUP defense would take over, stifling the Marauder offensive attack and limiting Millersville to just three shots over the final 20 minutes of the game.
As a team, Millersville outshot the Crimson Hawks 8-6, but the IUP goalkeepers were superb once again. Brittany Varacallo (New Britain/Central Bucks South) played the entire second half in the cage for the Crimson Hawks and notched the win, while Sarah Lemieux (Dublin, OH/Dublin Coffman) started the game and had two saves in 35 scoreless minutes.
Bruce led the IUP offense with a goal and an assist, while Mosner needed just one shot to tally her first goal of the season.
With the win, the Crimson Hawks are now 3-1 on the season. They continue their homestand Tuesday at 4:00 p.m.against Mansfield.
Via www.iupathletics.com
