SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - Senior forward Laura Wylde deflected home an entry feed from freshman Ashley Taylor in the 10th minute of the first overtime period on Tuesday night to cap off a frenzied PSAC Western Division matchup in which the No. 1-ranked Lady Raider field hockey team edged one of their rivals, the No. 10-ranked IUP Crimson Hawks, by a 1-0 margin from Robb Sports Complex.

Shippensburg (10-0, 3-0 PSAC West) is now off to its best start since 2006, when the team began with a 10-0 record before losing to Bloomsburg. In the PSAC Championship season of 2005, the Lady Raiders began the year with 16 consecutive victories before sustaining a road loss to Bloomsburg.

Tuesday's game was a physical battle for position and primarily played inside the 20s. Both teams fought hard to establish a territorial edge while preventing the other from stringing together consecutive passes. Three green cards and a yellow card were issued in the contest while the two teams combined for just 17 total shots.

The yellow card was issued to senior Mariah Wooters and came at a crucial juncture, as less than five minutes remained in regulation at the time of the assessment. Undaunted, the Lady Raider defense survived an IUP penalty corner and fought off several Crimson Hawk advances to keep the game scoreless heading into overtime.

Both squads exchanged scoring chances early on in the overtime period, but the difference finally came at the 79:07 mark. Taylor maneuvered around an IUP defender to fire a shot that soared toward Wylde and another IUP defender. Wylde raised her stick to knock down the rising shot and deflected it into the lower portion of the cage, sending the bench into jubilation.

Senior Amanda Houser, the reigning PSAC Western Division Player of the Week, recorded five saves in the contest to record her fourth solo shutout and the team's seventh shutout in 10 games. Her goals-against average of 0.54 and her .892 save percentage continues to be the best in Division II.

Shippensburg returns to action on Saturday with another PSAC Western Division clash from Robb Sports Complex. The Lady Raiders will take on Mansfield at noon.