2021 UNITED SOCCER COACHES POSTSEASON DII NATIONAL POLL

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Behind a record-setting 17 regular season victories and its highest season winning percentage in program history, the Kutztown University women's soccer team checked in 13th in the United Soccer Coaches' Division II postseason poll.
 
The Golden Bears, under the leadership of head coach Erik Burstein, compiled a 17-1-2 record on their way to a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division title, the top seed in the NCAA DII Atlantic Region and second round of the NCAA DII Championship tournament.
 
KU's 17 overall wins, 15 league wins and .900 winning percentage all marked program benchmarks since the school began sponsoring women's soccer as a varsity sport in 1984.
 
A stifling defense that provided the 15th-best goals against average in the nation (0.57) along with an offense that had a knack for scoring timely goals helped the Maroon and Gold open the season with victories in its first 10 games. The Bears bounced back from their only setback of the season to end the regular season on a seven-game winning streak. Penalty kicks would decide Kutztown's fate in both the PSAC and NCAA tournaments as the team's season ultimately concluded with back-to-back draws.
 
The 13th-place postseason ranking is KU's second-highest all-time, behind only the 2016 team, which finished fourth after advancing to the NCAA DII national semifinals. The Bears were tied for 22nd in 2005, 25th in both 2009 and 2014 and received votes in the final 2011 poll. The United Soccer Coaches' online archive of rankings dates back to 1997.
 
Kutztown and West Chester (16) were the only PSAC schools represented in the end-of-season poll.