Photo Gallery | Post-Game Press Conference | Video Replay
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kutztown University women's soccer team's historic 2016 campaign ended with a 3-0 loss to No. 1 Western Washington in the Final Four on a chilly night at Swope Soccer Village on Thursday.
Kutztown ends its season 20-5, easily eclipsing its previous program record of 16 wins from the 2011 season. The Golden Bears also set program records for regular season victories (15) and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) wins (13), and matched program records for shutouts in a season (13) and consecutive wins (9).
Entering the season with one NCAA Tournament victory, KU won three in the span of a week in November. The Maroon and Gold captured their first-ever Atlantic Region title and advanced to the Sweet 16, Elite Eight and Final Four for the first time in program history.
Kutztown became just the second PSAC program, as well as the fifth KU team, to reach the Final Four.
Sophomore goalkeeper
Imani Taylor (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional) was brilliant all night, making a career-high 14 saves in the losing effort, which was just two shy of tying an NCAA Division II postseason record.
Seniors
Katie Miller (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn),
Cassie Schmidt (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) and
Dana Wong (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) were part of a Kutztown defense that worked tirelessly throughout the entire 90 minutes in what turned out to be their final match in a Golden Bear uniform. Also graduating are
Alaina Curry (York, Pa./Dallastown Area) and
Katie Jaxheimer (New Cumberland, Pa./Cedar Cliff).
The first shot on net did not come until the 11th minute on Western Washington's first corner. That would be the first of six corners for the Vikings in a span of 6:45, which led to four Taylor saves.
Taylor then made another stop in the 20th minute before the opening score finally came. The sophomore denied an initial opportunity and looked to have kept out the second by diving to get a glove on a header by Becca Cates, but the ball trickled just past the line to give WWU the 1-0 lead in the 25th minute.
In the final 20 minutes of the half, Western Washington continued the pressure with two more attempts on frame, as well two other that hit the posts, including one that hit the crossbar one second before the horn.
Following eight more shots – four of which produced Taylor saves – in the opening 13 minutes of the second half, WWU added insurance with a one-timer from Peyton Chick to Gabriela Pelgoi in the 59th minute. Jordyn Bartelson then completed with just 2:55 remaining.
Western Washington (23-0-1) advances to the National Championship to face No. 2 Grand Valley State (23-1-1) on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 3 p.m.
