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KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University field hockey team has been unlucky of late. That didn't change Tuesday evening under the lights at Andre Reed Stadium as 10th-ranked Millersville University scored the game-winner with 4:30 left on the clock to leave as 1-0 winners in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) game.
 
The Golden Bears (6-5 overall, 1-3 PSAC) came into Tuesday having dropped their two previous games by one goal. They lost 2-1 to Bloomsburg University last Wednesday, Sept. 27 on a goal scored with less than two minutes left. Then, three days later, Slippery Rock University scored in the 64th minute to take a 3-2 contest.
 
The game against the Marauders (6-3, 3-1) could have went either way.
 
From the onset, Millersville had all of the opportunities. It held a 9-0 advantage in shots and a 6-1 edge in penalty corners.
 
Senior goalie Chardonnay Hope (New Castle, Del./William Penn) did her part in keeping KU in it, making five first-half saves. Senior defender Morgan Aldinger (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) got into the action as well, recording a defensive save, her team-leading fourth of the season.
 
With the two teams deadlocked 0-0 at halftime, it had the feel of one goal could be enough.
 
The Maroon and Gold came out aggressively to open up the second half. They recorded their first shot on goal three minutes in when Micaela Beaty (Drexel Hill, Pa./Archbishop Prendergast) had her attempt saved by Kylee Bair (2 saves). Kyra Wozniak (Plains, Pa./James M. Coughlin) saw her shot go just wide of the net off of a penalty corner about a minute later.
 
Kutztown outshot Millersville 6-5 in the second half, but just could not find the break-through.
 
Freshman Trinity Ponton (Wyomissing, Pa./Wyomissing Area) raced down the left side of the field, dribbling through defenders until she wound up in front of the Marauders cage. But she could not muster up a shot.
 
In the 66th minute, Emma Boutcher slapped a pass down field that found the stick of Kyra Brakefield. Brakefield took a touch forward and ended up in a break-a-way racing towards the cage. She slipped a shot past Hope for the game's first goal, and it proved to be the game-winner.
 
Hope has 45 saves on the season, which is good for fourth in the conference.
 
Kutztown will try to break their three-game skid when they take on IUP Saturday, Oct. 7 at 1 p.m. at Andre Reed Stadium.