WEST CHESTER, Pa. – The 18th-ranked Kutztown University women's soccer team had its 2018 postseason run end from the circle marked 12 yards away from net. After 110 scoreless minutes, KU fell short in penalty kicks, dropping the game 4-1 in an NCAA Atlantic Region First Round match against West Virginia Wesleyan at West Chester University's Rockwell Field Friday afternoon.
 
The Golden Bears end their season 14-4-2 overall and the Lady Bobcats improve to 13-1-5.
 
Kutztown created more of the chances and held more possession of the ball, but were unable to find the back of the net. KU outshot WVW 19-4 over the course of the game.
 
Junior forward Emily Zwiercan (Reinholds, Pa./Cocalico), who led the team in scoring with 11 goals on the year, had a team-high five shots, but was bottled up all game by the Bobcats defense. Senior captain Alyssa Ryan (North Wales, Pa./Wissahickon), who led the team with four shots on goal, connected on her penalty kick as the first KU kicker in the best-of-five shootout. The next three were saved by the Wesleyan goalie. WVW made all four of their shots to win.
 
Kutztown will graduate four seniors in Ryan, Erica Monte Carlo (Sewell, N.J./Washington Township), Gabrielle Evans (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville Area) and Imani Taylor (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional). The program will be led by a large and experienced junior class next season, and a ton of freshmen that contributed valuable minutes this season.