Box Score Kutztown 5, Slippery Rock 3 (HTML Box Score)
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KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Senior
Erin Reynolds (York, PA/Central York) and sophomore
Anna Behm (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) each tallied two goals in the Kutztown University field hockey team's victory over Slippery Rock Friday afternoon at University Field.
Friday marked the opening games of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play around the league. With Friday's win, Kutztown (4-3, 1-0 PSAC) finds itself tied atop the standings, while Slippery Rock (3-4, 0-1 PSAC) mixes in with the 0-1 teams at the bottom.
In an exciting, high-octane game powered by 44 total shots; the two squads found the back of the net a total of eight times, trading the lead on three different occasions.
Reynolds opened up the scoring in the 15th minute, when a Kutztown cross bounced its way through multiple players, landing on Reynolds' stick on the far side. She quickly wound up and fired the ball into the back of the cage before the goalie could react.
Kutztown struck again 10 minutes later, when freshman
Analyse Gaspich (Palmyra, Pa./Lower Dauphin) connected with
Julia Snyder (Red Lion, Pa./Dallastown Area) in the middle, who threw a quick shot on goal that snuck under the goalkeeper's foot.
Slippery Rock answered back right away. Haley Martin knocked down her teammates shot and fired it past KU goalkeeper
Kayla Denlinger (Manheim, Pa./Hempfield) to make it 2-1 going into halftime.
The Rock came out firing in the second half, scoring two quick goals in the first five minutes, taking a 3-2 lead over KU.
Reynolds did not let SRU have the lead for long. Two minutes later, she maneuvered past two defenders down the middle, and ripped a rocket reverse chip into the back of the cage, tying the match at three apiece. Reynolds leads the team with six goals on the year.
Behm, in her second game back from an injury suffered during preseason camp, single-handedly put the game away for the Golden Bears.
In the 53rd minute, Behm found her way out of a scramble in front of the net, and pushed it past the SRU keeper. With less than two minutes to play, senior
Jamie Koenig (Springtown, PA/Palisades) moved down the right side of the field, beat a defender and flicked the ball to Behm who was waiting and ready to knock the ball into the back of the net.
Although outshot 32-12, KU converted 50 percent of its shots on target into goals. Denlinger was huge for the Golden Bears in net, recording a career-high 18 saves. The KU defense got extra help with two goal-line defensive saves from sophomore
Rayann Fink (Fleetwood, Pa./Fleetwood).
Kutztown remains home for PSAC action tomorrow against Indiana (PA) at 1 p.m. from University Field.