KUTZTOWN, PA. – Junior midfielder Jen Tice (Barnegat, N.J./Southern Regional) (Barnegat, NJ/Southern) is savoring every second she has on the soccer field. More importantly, Tice is relishing every moment spent with her Kutztown University women's soccer teammates. One of the captains, Tice is having a blast contributing to the Golden Bears terrific opening eight days of the season.
In a battle of regionally ranked teams, sixth-ranked Kutztown defeated ninth-ranked Charleston (W. Va.), 5-1, with another second half goal scoring barrage Saturday morning at Keystone Field.
Kutztown got goals from Sarah Black (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) (Hershey/Lower Dauphin), Julia DiFerdinando (Chadds Ford, PA/Garnet Valley) (Chadds Ford/Garnet Valley), Chelsea Bressler (Cleona, PA/Annville-Cleona) (Cleona/Annville-Cleona), Shannon Pennock (Mansfield, N.J./Northern Burlington) (Mansfield, NJ/Northern Burlington) and Megan Zimmerman (Warminster, PA/William Tennet) (Warminster/William Tennent) to run its early season record to 3-0. Pennock, Stephanie Barnett (Blandon, PA/Fleetwood) (Blandon/Fleetwood) and Rachel Nutto (Vernon, N.J./Vernon Township) (Vernon, NJ/Vernon Twp) added assists for the Golden Bears. Charleston fell to 1-2 overall.
Although Molly Cooper (Palmyra, PA/Palmyra) (Palmyra/Palmyra) didn't score, she was a force throughout the game, creating havoc and being a pain for the Charleston defense. Freshman keeper Alyssa Hackleberg (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) finished with four saves to earn her third straight victory. Black immediately opened the scoring for Kutztown by scoring one minute into the game off a Pennock pass.
Aside from a momentarily lapse at the end of the first half in which Charleston's Taryn Conklin scored, Kutztown controlled the entire game. In finishing with 21 shots, KU took the game's first 10 shots. Charleston didn't record its first shot of the game until two minutes remained in the first half. Although this is the first time the KU women's soccer program has started 3-0 under fourth-year coach Erik Burstein, Tice knows there is plenty of work to be done.
“We're doing well right now, but our schedule is hard coming up,” Tice said. “Our next few games will really be a test for us because the teams coming up are really good. These games will be a true test of how good we are.”
Kutztown is very good. The Golden Bears seemingly have all the ingredients for a successful season and a deep run into November: Depth, talent, speed, experience and personality.
Whether it is the tremendous depth or better focus, the Golden Bears did their best work in the second half. After scoring all six of its goals in its victory against Mansfield on Tuesday in the second half, Kutztown added four more goals after intermission to break a 1-1 halftime tie. This week, KU scored 10 of its 11 goals in the second half.
DiFerdinando, who did a good job of creating space and scoring chances for her teammates, slam-dunked a rebound for a 2-1 KU edge 14 minutes into the second half. That goal lifted the Golden Bears as they raised their game to a level that Charleston was unable to match. Bressler took a beautiful pass from Stephanie Barnett (Blandon, PA/Fleetwood) and helped KU's lead swell to 3-1 nine minutes later.
Barnett, playing her first game this season, created another scoring chance when she was tripped inside of the box drawing a penalty kick for Pennock, who promptly scored. Zimmerman punctuated KU's victory with a goal off of a pass from Nutto in the 89th minute.
“I think in the second half, we played to our ability,” Tice said. “I love being a part of this team. I think we're going to have a very good year if we continue to work hard and listen to (coach Burstein). Our freshmen played well today.”
The Golden Bears finish their early season home-stand by hosting Shippensburg University at 3:00 p.m.
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