WEST CHESTER, Pa. – In case a seven-game winning streak wasn't enough, the fifth-ranked Kutztown University field hockey team went on the road and upset second-ranked West Chester University on Tuesday afternoon, 3-2.
 
Prior to Kutztown and West Chester's matchup earlier this season at Andre Reed Stadium, KU head coach Marci Scheuing noted that it would take "heart and guts" to defeat the talented West Chester team. The Golden Bears fell 1-0 in that hard-fought game in Sept., but proved on Tuesday that they have the guts to compete with the best in the country, and that they might just have the talent too.
 
The Golden Bears (11-3, 6-1 PSAC) turned in an historic performance with their win over the Golden Rams (10-3, 3-3). It marked KU's first win over a second-ranked team in Division II in nearly 11 years to the day – a 1-0 win at #2 Shippensburg on Oct. 14, 2004.
 
Kutztown extended its winning streak to seven games, the longest for the program since an eight-game run in 2008 and a 10-0 start to 2007, and did so by defeating West Chester for the first time since West Chester joined Division II in 2011 (8 games). The only time KU had defeated West Chester prior to Tuesday was in 1983.
 
KU never trailed on Tuesday and moved into second place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) standings (top six qualify for postseason). Megan Tiwold (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) scored her career-high seventh goal of the season in the 23rd minute and Courtney Konowal (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth-Whitemarsh) added on in the 43rd minute to give KU a 2-0 lead with less than 30 minutes to play.
 
Teamwork played a significant role on the early goals with three assists tallied. Anna Behm (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) set up Tiwold for the first goal of the game, and Analyse Gaspich (Palmyra, Pa./Lower Dauphin) and Morgan Aldinger (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) worked well together on a penalty corner to give Konowal the scoring opportunity.
 
Courtney Ueberroth (Stevens, Pa./Cocalico) notched a defensive save in the 47th minute to maintain the two-goal advantage, but West Chester finally broke through with a goal in the 57th minute off a penalty corner.
 
KU needed an insurance goal with West Chester pressuring, and Behm, the Division II leader in scoring and points with her school-record scoring streak on the line, came through. Konowal set up Behm for a goal, marking the school-record ninth straight game the senior and Kutztown native has scored in.
 
West Chester scored with 2:45 to play to draw within one, KU nearly responded as Rayann Fink (Fleetwood, Pa./Fleetwood)'s shot with 12 seconds left was stopped by a Golden Ram defensive save, but it all went for naught as the final horn sounded for Kutztown's historic victory.
 
West Chester outshot Kutztown, 23-12, and held a 13-5 advantage in penalty corners, but the Golden Bears stood their ground and continued to fight and continued to believe that they have what it takes to compete with the country's best.
 
Kutztown's final four games all hold significant importance moving forward. KU hosts Seton Hill University on Saturday, Oct. 17 for Senior Day at 1 p.m., it plays #1 Millersville and #3 East Stroudsburg, and closes the season with a non-conference game at Indiana (PA).