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SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University lacrosse team honored its five senior players on Saturday before its penultimate regular-season home game of 2019 but could not stave off visiting IUP in the second half of a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) matchup, falling 21-11 to the No. 25-ranked Crimson Hawks on a sunny day at Robb Sports Complex.
 
With the game being the final home date of the year on a Saturday, the Raiders honored seniors Valerie Hertz, Rene Morrow, Madi Newman, Kyra Shank and Morgan Stone for their collective efforts to the program.
 
Shippensburg (4-8, 2-6 PSAC) was within one goal of IUP (7-5, 5-3) with three minutes remaining in the first half, trailing 8-7. The Crimson Hawks scored twice before halftime and scored the first two goals of the second half to lead 12-7. SU was within four goals of IUP, 14-10, with 20 minutes to play, before the visitors closed with seven of the final eight goals down the stretch.
 
Sophomore Alana Cardaci registered her eighth hat trick of the season, scoring three times to lead the Raiders. Cardaci's season goal total is up to a career-high 40 – she is the first Raider to reach the 40-goal mark in a season since Sheila Johnson (48) in 2015.
 
Newman was a consistent presence at both ends of the field, scoring twice and recording an assist while also pacing the team with four draw controls and four groundballs. Junior Kami Holt scored twice and had three groundballs.
 
Hertz led all players with five caused turnovers, matching a season high and marking the 10th time in her career she has totaled five or more caused turnovers in a game. She also scooped up three groundballs and won three draw controls.
 
Four Raiders finished with one goal: sophomore Maddy Siejk, freshman Gabby Savarino, sophomore Jena MacDonald and Stone – who scored on a the equivalent of a hockey wrist shot by shuffling the ball off the ground and into the goal with her stick. Siejk and Savarino combined for five draw controls. Savarino also had an assist.
 
Freshman Shaely Gamble made seven saves and collected two groundballs.
 
IUP got nine points (six goals, three assists) from Shannon Hartigan, who also won three of her team's 18 draw controls. Six Crimson Hawks finished with multiple goals, including hat tricks for Ally Burrows and Adriana Greco.
 
With four games remaining in the regular season, Newman moved into SU's Top 10 for career groundballs with 106. Her 82 draw controls now rank eighth in school history.
 
Hertz, meanwhile, is up to 145 career caused turnovers (21 more than any other Raider in history) while ranking second all-time at SU in groundballs (212; 18 behind Annemarie Cericola). She is also fourth all-time at SU with 166 draw controls -- one shy of third all-time (Liz French, 167 from 2011-14) and two shy of second all-time (Lindsey Kennedy, 168 from 2010-13).
 
UP NEXT: Wednesday, 4 p.m. at No. 11 East Stroudsburg.