KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- Sixth-ranked Kutztown University field hockey was less than two minutes from taking down defending national champion and second-ranked West Chester Wednesday night, but in the PSAC no lead is safe until the clock reads zeros.

The Golden Rams got a penalty stroke goal from Emma Velez with 1:48 left in regulation and Valerie van Kuijck cashed in on a penalty corner in double overtime as the visitors stole one out from under the Golden Bears, 3-2, at Andre Reed Stadium.

Kutztown (11-5, 5-4 PSAC) was the only team to defeat West Chester during its 2019 championship season and proved again they weren't going to back down. They outshot the Rams 4-2 in the first quarter and went in front on Rachel Dusman's (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg) 10th goal of the season in the 11th minute. Juliana Donato (Cedarville, N.J./Schalick) picked up the assist.

The Ram offense came to life in the second quarter, with four penalty corners and five shots. A chaotic scramble in front off a corner in the 28th minute resulted in a penalty stroke being awarded to West Chester. Velez stepped up to bury it and tie the game at one.

Neither team could break the stalemate in the third quarter, though the Golden Bears had ample opportunities to do so early. They earned a corner 34 seconds into the period and kept West Chester (12-3, 6-2 PSAC) hemmed into their own circle over the next two minutes. During that time, the Maroon and Gold received six additional corners, but could only produce three shots off them. The first was blocked, the second was off target and the third, from Breann Craley (York, Pa./Central York), was turned away by WCU goalie Claire Nielsen.

West Chester would flip the field late in the quarter, registering three corners of its own in the final 1:28 of the period. Katie Dotterweich (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone) made one of her 10 saves in the game on Dara Spavlik to keep the game even.

Sophomore Sarah Gatehouse (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson) restored KU's one-goal lead early in the fourth when she took a corner from Andie Sierer (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin), worked past a defender and threw a shot through a mass of bodies in front that found the back of the cage. It was the second goal of the season for the native Berks Countian.

The Golden Rams were awarded another penalty stroke in the waning moments of regulation and Velez, like she did earlier, stepped up to the dot calm and collected and tied the game.

Kutztown nearly ended the game in the first extra session when Juliana Donato (Cedarville, N.J./Schalick) raced down the right flank and fired a shot towards the goal that Izzy Radel (Harveys Lake, Pa./Lake-Lehman) looked to slightly deflect. Nielsen was beaten cleanly, but the deflection rang off the left post.

Eventually, in the second overtime, the Golden Rams took advantage of their 17th corner of the night. Inserter van Kuijck received a return pass from Caitie MacNamara and ripped a shot from the left side past Dotterweich, ending a thriller at the 77:56 mark.

It was an evenly played game by both sides, with West Chester holding an 18-14 edge in shots (13-7 on goal) and 17-16 in corners. Dotterweich's 10 saves were her second most in a game this season behind only the 13 she made against top-ranked Shippensburg, Oct. 9.

Dusman registered a team-high six shots (four on goal) and Juliana Donato (Cedarville, N.J./Schalick) had three. Spavlik countered with six for WCU, while Claudia Jaszczak and Velez totaled three apiece. Nielsen had four saves for the victors and Spavlik made a defensive save.

Kutztown, currently fifth in the PSAC standings, concludes the regular season at IUP Saturday evening. The Crimson Hawks are in a three-way tie for the for the final playoff spot with Mansfield and Slippery Rock, teams Kutztown has already beaten this season. Game time is set for 7 p.m.