SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Behind a goal by senior Kristina Taylor with just over seven minutes remaining in regulation, the No. 2 Shippensburg University field hockey team was able to escape a wet Robb Sports Complex on Wednesday afternoon with a 1-0 victory over Mercyhurst.

The Raiders (15-2, 9-0 PSAC West) out-shot the Lakers (7-10, 3-6) by a 23-4 margin and held an 18-5 advantage in penalty corners, but the game remained scoreless until the final minutes due to the wet turf affecting play for both teams. In each half, Mercyhurst thwarted a Raider scoring opportunity with a defensive save.

With 15 shots in the second half, Shippensburg was consistently pressuring the goal, and it culminated with senior Katie Pufnock taking three penalty corners in the 1:48 span leading up to Taylor's game-winner.

Finally, on the third corner, an entry into the circle by junior Kayla Harshman was deflected off of Taylor's stick and over the goalkeeper into the back of the cage. The goal was Taylor's 20th of the season, good for her second-best season total in her four-year Raider career. Taylor, the current PSAC Western Division Player of the Week, scored 24 as a sophomore in 2009.

Mercyhurst had a strong scoring chance in the final 90 seconds and earned one last penalty corner. With 1:01 remaining Laker defender Rachel Sluberski sent a shot from just inside the circle that traveled untouched into the cage. The referee, however, ruled that a Laker made contact with Shippensburg junior goalkeeper Ciarra Delost, nullifying the goal.

Delost finished the game with four saves for her fourth shutout of the season, while junior Taylor Jones led SU with five shots.

It was the first 1-0 Shippensburg victory since defeating Bloomsburg in the NCAA semifinals last season. For regular season contests, it was the first since an overtime win over IUP on Sept. 22, 2009.

The Raiders wrap up their regular season with a 1 p.m. contest Saturday at Seton Hill.

Next weekend, Shippensburg will be hosting the semifinals and championship game of the 2011 PSAC Field Hockey Championships from Robb Sports Complex. On Friday, October 28, the semifinal games will be at 1 and 3:30 p.m., with Shippensburg playing in the latter contest. The championship game on Saturday is at 2 p.m. and will be televised by PCN.