KUTZTOWN, Pa. – For the first time in program history, No. 1 Kutztown Field Hockey received the top seed in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament and will host the final four. Semifinals are set for Friday, Nov. 18, with the first game at 3 p.m., followed by the second at 5:30 p.m., both at Andre Reed Stadium.
 
The Golden Bears (16-2 overall) will meet the fourth seed, East Stroudsburg (16-2) in the late game. In the opener, the second seed and defending national champion, Shippensburg (15-2) will play third-seeded Millersville (15-4). The winners of the two games will play for the title on Sunday, Nov. 20, at noon.
 
Kutztown is playing in the PSAC semifinal round for the second time in the last three seasons, 2019 the other, but just the second time since 2009. That 2019 team also played in the championship game for just the second time in program history.
 
KU and ESU met about two-and-a-half weeks ago on the same turf, with Kutztown coming out victorious 1-0. Senior Breann Craley (York, Pa./Central York) scored her fourth goal of the season late in the third quarter to break a scoreless deadlock and Katie Dotterweich (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone) helped preserve the shutout with a fine save late in the fourth quarter. Her seven shutouts this season is tops in the PSAC.
 
All-PSAC performers Rachel Dusman (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg), Olivia Blasone (East Berlin, Pa./Bermudian Springs), Sarah Gatehouse (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson) and Juliana Donato (Cedarville, N.J./Schalick) lead the way for PSAC Coach of the Year Marci Scheuing's crew. Kutztown is on a 10-game win streak, tied for the longest in program history.
 
The Golden Bears were ranked third in the final NCAA Division II Regional Poll, behind Shippensburg (1) and East Stroudsburg (2). A win will be very important to KU to not only play for a conference championship, but for it to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.