MEADVILLE, Pa. -  In a physical contest played in steady rain and wind, the Gators held off an aggressive Wooster squad to pick up their fifth consecutive shutout victory, 1-0.

With the win, the Gators improve to 13-5 overall, and 6-1 in the North Coast Athletic Conference.  Having clinched a spot in next week's conference championship tournament, Allegheny will earn at least a first round home game with a win on Saturday in its regular season finale, or with a Wittenberg loss in its Wednesday night game vs. DePauw.  Wooster closed the regular season at 9-8-1 overall, and 3-4-1 in the NCAC.

Fighting for their playoff lives, the Fighting Scots went on the attack from the outset, with a number of sustained possessions over the first 13 minutes.  The Gators, however, weathered the storm, with the team's defense and midfield teaming up to hold the visitors without a shot over the span.

After the Gators posted their first two shots of the afternoon in the 15th minute, Wooster came right to again control the play, with Allegheny keeper Gabby Curtis making a pair of saves in a 90-second span, including a dazzling stop on a shot from less than two yards out, to keep the match scoreless.  Wooster kept the ball in Gator territory, and after a free kick from 20 yards out in the 32nd minute, Allegheny's Jaymee Wallace and Emma Yates teamed up on the goal line to block a Wooster header at point-blank range and preserve the shutout.

Following an offsides call against the Fighting Scots, the Gators quickly seized the momentum in the 37th minute.  Colleen Fleming won a 50-50 header at the top of the Wooster goal box, and directed it wide to Faith Robinson.  Robinson quickly tapped it across the goal mouth to Hannah Zangara, who sent it home for her fourth goal of the season, and third in the past four games, to put the Gators up 1-0 with 7:54 left in the half, which is how the score would remain as the game entered halftime.

Over the opening 45 minutes, each team was credited with five shots, but Wooster controlled the bulk of the play, forcing Curtis to make three first half saves.

The Gators were strong coming out of the intermission, posting five shots and taking one corner kick over the first 10 minutes of the second frame, but were unable to add an insurance marker. The game would then take on a physical and defensive theme, with the majority of the action over the next 20-plus minutes taking place in the middle third of the field.  After an attempt by the Gators' Nikki Augustine knuckled just wide in the 56th minute, nearly 17 minutes passed before either team was credited with a shot, which was a blast from Allegheny's Fran Weber that went wide in the 72nd minute.

Allegheny blocked a Wooster attempt from 25 yards out with just over 14 minutes to go, and then the Gators managed to essentially run out the clock, maintaining possession for large chunks of time down the stretch.  The game's final real scoring chance came in the 85th minute, when the Gators' Greta Hilbrands appeared to have an insurance goal, but her rocket from 15 yards clanged off the crossbar.

The Gators ended the afternoon with a 12-8 advantage in shots, while the team's defense failed to surrender a shot on goal over the second half.  Curtis tallied three saves on the afternoon to earn her NCAC-leading 10th shutout of the season.  After the win, the team's shutout streak stands at an even 450 minutes.

Allegheny will wrap up the regular season with Saturday's 12 p.m. Senior Day contest against Wittenberg in a rematch of last season's NCAC tournament championship match, won by the Gators.  Prior to the match, Allegheny's five seniors, including Curtis, Wallace, Hilbrands, Robinson, and Tori Delzer, will be recognized for their careers in the Blue and Gold.