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KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University field hockey team has a pair of conference matchups for the first time this season on Friday, Sept. 27 against Slippery Rock, and on Saturday, Sept. 28 against Indiana University (PA) at University Field.
 
The ninth-ranked Golden Bears (3-3) open their first conference match against 10th-ranked Slippery Rock (3-3) at 4 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are meeting for the second time this season. KU takes on Indiana (PA) at University Field on Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
Kutztown defeated The Rock 2-1 on the road earlier in the season in a non-conference battle. Erin Reynolds (York, PA/Central York) struck for two goals off of two penalty strokes to give KU the win.
 
Reynolds' aggression and balance in the midfield has triggered 31shots as she leads KU's offense with four goals and two assists. Her effort on the field ranks her fourth in shots in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
 
For Slippery Rock, junior Lindsay Brown leads The Rock offensively with four goals and four assists for 12 points. As a team, Slippery Rock is sixth in the PSAC behind Shippensburg (180), West Chester (121), East Stroudsburg (114), Bloomsburg (113), and Millersville (100) with 95 shots this season.
 
"Everybody comes really hard to play," head coach Marci Scheuing said. "We have to mentally prepare and be ready for this team. We also have to do a good job of shutting down Slippery Rock's skilled forward. We did a real nice job of shutting her down last time."
 
Erin Danner (Marysville, PA/Susquenita) is second on the team with three goals and one assist for 10 points, but her accomplishments on the field do not stop there. According to Scheuing, Danner is a 'wall' on defense. She enters this weekend's conference matchups leading KU with five defensive saves. Her game sense enables her to control the sidelines and force fouls on the opposing team. Freshman Jess Strohecker (Landisburg, Pa./West Perry) has recorded three defensive saves.
 
Sophomore Anna Behm (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) will appear in her second game of the season since returning from an injury. Last season Behm glistened on offense. She accumulated eight goals and one assist for 17 points. Her accomplishments lifted KU past Slippery Rock and East Stroudsburg and earned her All-PSAC East honors.
 
For Indiana (PA) (1-5), freshman Jessica Kida leads the Crimson Hawks with six goals for 12 points. Senior Jillian Duld is second with three points and one assist for seven points.
 
Last season, the Crimson Hawks defeated Kutztown 5-2 at University Field.
 
"I think that everybody needs to pick each other up," Reynolds said. "Trusting and using each other, and working up and down the field as a unit will make a difference."
 
In goal, Kayla Denlinger (Manheim, Pa./Hempfield) has recorded a .729 save percentage and holds a 2.67 goals-against-average. Her confidence aids in KU's mighty defense.
 
Following its pair of weekend games, Kutztown returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 5 at Mercyhurst University beginning at 9:30 a.m.