GAFFNEY, S.C. – The Kutztown University field hockey team erased a two-goal deficit against eighth-ranked Limestone College, but the comeback effort was foiled with a late score by the home team as KU fell 3-2 on Sunday afternoon in non-conference action, marking its first loss of the season.
 
This was one of the games the Golden Bears (2-1) had circled in their opening stretch of the season. Last season at University Field, KU battled then-fifth-ranked Limestone to a close 1-0 defeat. Kutztown took the drive down to South Carolina this weekend in hopes of evening the score and giving the Saints (2-0) its best.
 
Despite the setback, the Golden Bears should be pleased with the effort shown on Sunday against one of the top teams in Division II. Limestone took advantage of a 10-minute period surrounding halftime to build a 2-0 lead with goals in the 31st and 40th minutes.
 
Needing to find an answer, Kutztown battled back and got on the board two minutes after the Saints' second goal. Morgan Aldinger (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) scored her first goal of the season off an assist from Anna Behm (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown), putting Behm at 14 points through three games in 2015.
 
Less than three minutes later in the 45th minute, Megan Tiwold (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) evened the score with a goal off a Madison Wampler (York, Pa./West York Area) assist.
 
The game came down to the final 10 minutes. In the 63rd minute on a Limestone penalty corner, the ball got pushed into a crowd in the middle of the circle, where it was pushed in by Limestone's Courtney Tully to send the home team to a 3-2 victory.
 
Limestone outshot Kutztown, 15-7 with an 8-2 advantage in penalty corners.
 
The Golden Bears return back to Pennsylvania and prepare for a non-conference road matchup on Saturday, Sept. 12 at East Stroudsburg. Game time is set for 12 p.m.