MANCHESTER, N.H. – Mackenzie Kile (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) cooly stepped up to the penalty spot and sent home the stroke with just under two minutes to play in regulation and third-ranked and third-seeded Kutztown Field Hockey got the better of second-ranked and second-seeded Shippensburg 2-1 Friday evening in the NCAA Division II semifinals at Grappone Stadium in Manchester, N.H.
 
Third time was the charm for the Golden Bears (18-3 overall), who tied the program record for wins in a season with the victory. After losing both games against the Raiders (15-5) earlier this season, the Maroon and Gold finally broke through and will be playing for a national championship for the first time since 1997 and just the second time in program history.
 
All three games between the two teams this season have been decided by just one goal.
 
Juliana Donato (Cedarville, N.J./Schalick), who leads the team in assists with 11, probably could've had more tonight, but even though she didn't pick one up in the box score, her facilitation of the offense helped her team get the final goal. The junior midfielder sent in a pass into the box that Kile reached for and then was knocked over in front of cage by Raiders goalie, Emma Albee, and was awarded the penalty stroke.
 
Kutztown was forced to defend at an all-time high in the opening quarter and had to fend off almost half of the quarter in penalty time (seven minutes). Shippensburg was able to capitalize once via its leading scorer, Tess Jedeloo, 9:00 in.
 
The Golden Bears answered quickly thanks to the stick of Traynor, who finished off a rebound from an initial shot by Mackenzie Kile (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) off a penalty corner to tie the score at 1-1 with just 1:00 left in the first. It was her fifth goal of the season.
 
The two goals in the opening frame was nothing like the last matchup between the two teams in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference semifinal round, when one goal total was scored, and it came in overtime. But the next two quarters were more reminiscent of that game as KU and Ship went scoreless, until Kile's fourth quarter magic found the back of the cage, her sixth of the season.
 
Shippensburg outshot Kutztown 17-13 overall. KU had a 5-4 advantage in penalty corners. Mia Kepler (Wall Township, N.J./Wall) tied a season-high with seven saves.
 
Kutztown will now take on the top-ranked team and No. 1 seed, East Stroudsburg, a 3-0 winner in the other semifinal over the fifth seed, Assumption. ESU defeated KU 2-1 during the regular season back on Sept. 26.

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