INDIANA, Pa. — Clarion (2-8-1, 2-5-1) fell 3-1 to IUP (8-1-2, 6-1-1) on Saturday afternoon at South Campus Field. All four goals came in the first half, as the Golden Eagles battled but couldn't overcome the early deficit.
The opening half began with the Clarion defense under immediate pressure, as the Crimson Hawks opened the scoring in the 7th minute on a goal by Elle Smith. Clarion responded with determination, finding the equalizer in the 22nd minute when
Paige Brewer sent the ball forward to
Ciara DiMauro, who crossed it into the box. The pass deflected off an IUP defender and into the net to level the score at 1-1. IUP quickly regained control, scoring twice more before halftime — including another from Smith — to take a 3-1 advantage into the break.
The second half saw Clarion tighten defensively while looking for opportunities to close the gap. Goalkeeper
Sage Sherk made an early save on a shot from Paige Fausey and continued to anchor the back line through multiple IUP corner kicks. She came up big again in the 76th minute, denying a close-range attempt by Izzy Sawich.
Clarion continued to push forward, with
Paige Griest firing a shot in the 70th minute that was saved by Serayah Leech. Despite consistent energy in the final third, the Golden Eagles were unable to convert additional chances, and the score remained unchanged through full time.
Sherk collected five saves while facing 12 total shots in a complete-game effort. Griest contributed two shots and was active on both ends of the field. Brewer and DiMauro each played key roles in generating Clarion's offensive momentum throughout the match.
