WEST CHESTER, PA – In a high-stakes PSAC showdown under the blazing sun, the #2 ranked Golden Bears faced another fierce test, battling #6 West Chester in a clash of top-10 teams. It marked the third consecutive top-10 matchup for the Golden Bears.

The scoring kicked off quickly, with Kutztown grabbing an early lead less than five minutes into the match. After receiving a well-placed pass from Greenleigh McGehee (New Tripoli, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh), Marissa Rice (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter Strasburg) carried the ball from the 30-yard line, working her way to deliver a pinpoint pass to the center of the circle, where Erin Gonzalez (East Earl, Pa./Garden Spot) made a run from the opposite side. Gonzalez connected with the ball, sending a shot to the far corner of the cage, with the backboard's echo resonating throughout the field. The goal marked her 10th of the season.

West Chester responded almost immediately, just over two minutes later, with a powerful reverse chip from the middle of the circle. Freshman goalie Lorelai Lehenky (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) made a critical deflection on the ball, but an unfortunate touch off a Kutztown defender leveled the score at 1-1.

The second quarter delivered more action as West Chester's Jasmine Miller, the PSAC's second-leading scorer, launched a rocket into the back of the net, giving her team the lead. However, Kutztown maintained composure and capitalized on a key opportunity right before halftime. 

With less than a minute left in the quarter, Jessica Traynor (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) threaded a perfect pass through a crowded defense. In a display of skill, Megan Doyle (Hackettstown, N.J./Hackettstown) executed a sharp spin move, shaking off her marker before firing a powerful cross-body shot. The ball rocketed past the outstretched goalie, burying itself in the back of the cage and tying the game at 2-2 

The third quarter was marked by tight, clean battles on both sides of the field. Kutztown earned their first penalty corner of the game midway through the quarter, which also marked their 150th corner of the season – the second-most in the nation. 

As the game headed into the fourth quarter, both teams remained evenly matched, tied in shots (6 each), shots on goal (5 each), and saves (3 apiece), with the only difference being penalty corners, where Kutztown held a 3-0 advantage. West Chester earned their first and only penalty corner of the game halfway through the final quarter, but defender Sarah Gatehouse (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson) quickly cleared the ball out of the circle.

In the final moments of regulation, Lehenky made the most critical save occurring in the game. A West Chester forward weaved her way through the circle, setting up a one-on-one with Lehenky. The freshman keeper made a brilliant stop to keep the score tied and force overtime.

The 2-2 deadlock sent Kutztown into its fourth overtime of the season, with the previous three all resulting in victories. However, just over a minute into the extra period, West Chester broke through, scoring the decisive goal and marking Kutztown's third straight loss.

Kutztown will look to rebound as they hit the road again for their next match against Slippery Rock on Friday, Oct. 25, at 2:00 PM.
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