MANSFIELD, Pa. – No. 5 Kutztown University Field Hockey is making winning their season opener a tradition, winning five of the last six opening day competitions, including Saturday's 7-0 shutout victory over Southern Connecticut State at Mansfield University.
 
The Golden Bears (1-0 overall) played in their first game since 2019, where they finished in the NCAA DII semifinals.
 
Alyssa Donato (Cedarville, N.J./Cumberland Regional) and Breann Craley (York, Pa./Central York) led the offensive explosion for KU, scoring four of the seven goals (two each) as well as one assist apiece. The other three goals would come off the bench, Jillian Buchman (Drums, Pa./Hazleton), Greenleigh McGehee (New Tripoli, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh), and Andie Sierer (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) each scoring one goal.
 
Donato would open up the scoring for the Maroon and Gold early in just the fourth minute of play on an assist from Craley. McGehee would follow almost exactly two minutes later to expand the lead to 2-0, scoring her first career goal. Sierer would cap off scoring in the first quarter giving the Golden Bears a 3-0 lead.
 
Neither team's offense would break through for a score in the second quarter, but KU would pick up its offensive onslaught again in the third putting two more in the back of the net. Craley would score her first of the game in the 32nd minute expanding the lead to 4-0. After three consecutive shots by the KU offense, Buchman was able to knock it in on their fourth try to give the Maroon and Gold a five-goal lead going in to the fourth quarter.
 
In the final period of the game, the Golden Bears would score two more times, Donato and Craley both scoring their second goals on the day. Kutztown's 52 shots is a school record for shots in a game. Possibly even more impressive, the KU defense did not allow a single shot on goal or a shot attempt the entire game dominating in all aspects of the game.
 
Katie Dotterweich (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone) and Mia Kepler (Wall Township, N.J./Wall) combined for the shutout in cage.
 
The Golden Bears will be back in action tomorrow, Sunday, taking on Saint Michael's at 11:00 a.m., at Mansfield, looking to continue their success.