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EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – In a span of 21 minutes, the 19th-ranked Kutztown University women's soccer team tallied three-straight goals to jump out to a 3-0 lead over 15th-ranked West Chester University heading into halftime of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) semifinal contest on Friday evening. The conditions were frigid at East Stroudsburg University's Eiler-Martin Stadium, but the Golden Bears were able to fend off the surging winds in the second half to advance to tomorrow's championship game with a 4-2 victory.
 
With the win, Kutztown (15-4) advances to face the top seed and third-ranked East Stroudsburg Warriors (19-1) in Saturday's championship match at 6 p.m. The Golden Bears are searching for their first-ever PSAC title and it is the second-finals appearance in the last four years. With 15 wins, KU is one win shy of tying the school record.
 
Senior captain and 2014 PSAC Athlete of the Year Sam Costello (Westfield, N.J./Westfield) seemed nearly unstoppable on Friday, repeatedly out-running the WCU backline to create scoring opportunities. Costello notched two goals and an assist in the victory, and now ranks fourth in school history in career points (73) and is tied for fourth in career goals (26). Her 12 goals this season is tied for the fifth-best in school history.
 
The Maroon and Gold had the wind at their backs in the first half, and they certainly took advantage. In the 14th minute, Mariah Dimm (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) executed a pinpoint corner kick for the second game in a row, using the wind and an in-swinging strike to find Dana Wong (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) at the 6-yard box, whose header bounced its way into the back of the net.
 
Exactly two minutes later, the Golden Bears struck again. The KU midfield launched a ball from half field into the attacking zone. Costello out-hustled the defender to get to the ball first and made a nifty touch to get around and go one-on-one with the goalie. Costello tapped it out of the goalie's diving reach as she approached from her line, and Costello hit the empty net to go up 2-0.
 
In the 34th minute, Costello continued to exhibit her all-around dominance on the pitch. Operating on the right side, Costello held the ball 13 yards out and drew two WCU defenders. Costello picked up her head and played a low cross to a wide open Brooke May (East Berlin, Pa./Dover Area) in the box, who took the volley out of the air and one-timed it past the keeper to net her first career goal.
 
The Golden Bears entered halftime with a 6-2 advantage in corners and a 6-0 lead in shots-on-goal.
 
With the switching of sides, Kutztown now had to go into the wind in the second half and contain an aggressive WCU offense that ranks second in the PSAC in goals per game. West Chester (16-2-1) only needed 43 seconds to get back into the game. Dana Hunt received a pass from Cara Deola and dribbled down the right flank. Hunt smashed a knuckleball shot from the top-right corner of the 18-yard box that snuck in the near post before Deanna Messner (Willow Grove, Pa./Archbishop Wood) could react.
 
Less than two minutes later, KU earned a free kick off a hand ball 30 yards out to the right of the box. Morgan Staley (Landenberg, Pa./Kennett) delivered, and Costello beat her mark to work to the front of the pack and connect on a clean header that sent the ball into the back of the net for her second goal of the game.
 
The Golden Rams found one last breath of hope in the 80th minute. Deola found some space and ripped it off the bottom of the cross bar from 20 yards out. Nikki Lynch followed up the rebound and banged it into the back of the net for the final goal of the game.
 
Messner finished with three saves in net for KU, while WCU's keeper Alex Sirolis recorded four.
 
WCU closed the shot advantage by the end of the game, but the Golden Bears still led in both shots (13-11) and corner kicks (8-5).
 
The championship game against ESU on Saturday, Nov. 8 will begin at 6 p.m. at Eiler-Martin Stadium. ESU is on a 19-game winning streak and hasn't lost since the season opener, which came at the hands of Kutztown.