KUTZTOWN, Pa. – With the start of the 2022 season finally on the horizon, the Kutztown University field hockey team will enter this weekend's first competition ranked No. 5 in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division II preseason coaches poll, the organization announced on Tuesday.
 
The Golden Bears, who have qualified for three consecutive Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference postseason tournaments, finished last season at No. 7 in the poll with an 11-7 overall record.
 
Head coach Marci Scheuing welcomes back NFHCA Second Team All-American forward Rachel Dusman (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg) and All-PSAC Third Team goalie Katie Dotterweich (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone). That duo, along with graduate student Olivia Blasone (East Berlin, Pa./Bermudian Springs), make up the captains for this year's squad.
 
Defending national champion Shippensburg is the preseason No. 1 team, receiving 14 of the 21 first-place votes. West Chester, which received four first-place votes was second, followed by East Stroudsburg with a pair of first-place votes, while Assumption and KU rounded out the top five. The PSAC has five of the top seven teams with Millersville ranked No. 7.
 
The Maroon and Gold were fourth in the PSAC preseason poll, announced last week.
 
Kutztown opens its 2022 regular season with four consecutive home games. KU will be hosting a four-team tournament and will open with Saint Michael's on Saturday, Sept. 3, at 11 a.m., at Andre Reed Stadium. The Maroon and Gold will then play Southern Connecticut State the following day at 1:30 p.m.