KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University women's soccer team felt another tough battle was set to happen on their home turf against the Bloomsburg Huskies, one that resulted in a 1-1 draw in a pivotal Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division matchup on Wednesday night at Keystone Field.
While 11 different players took shot attempts for the Golden Bears (8-2-6, 6-2-6 PSAC East), the home team mustered up one first-half goal from sophomore Corinne Morgan (Port Republic, N.J./Cedar Creek), finding the net on one of her two shots on the night. The Huskies (8-4-3, 6-4-3 PSAC East) were up to the challenge of defending Kutztown's pressure, as keeper Samantha Merklin fended off nine shots on goal to keep the game even.
Senior defender Bridget Curtis (Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks South) attempted a team-high four shots, three of which she fired from outside the box for the aggressive Golden Bears. Forwards Caroline McDonald (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) and Isabella Rossetti (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill East), along with midfielders Maura Day (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Abington) and Katelyn Economopoulos (Grantville, Pa./Lower Dauphin) all attempted three shots with hopes of gaining the deciding mark. McDonald assisted on the Morgan goal in the first half while putting one shot on goal.
The game turned out to be another chippy, defensive bout against two contending PSAC East Division teams, a common occurrence throughout the 2024 season. The teams combined for 16 total fouls, with Bloomsburg's Kennedy Kilchrist earning a second-half yellow card for an aggressive move on the Kutztown attacking side.
Rookie keeper Cassidy Howes (Havre de Grace, Md./Havre de Grace) picked up a pair of saves while allowing a goal on the night. The Maryland native hung tough through four shots, three of which came from Bloomsburg's Aubrey Hondros.
The Golden Bears led in corner kicks (9-2) and shots (23-4), while Kutztown's shooting allowed Bloomsburg to take the advantage in saved shots on target (9-2).
The postseason bracket is beginning to take shape for the East Division, as Kutztown remains below Shepherd and West Chester in the division standings. The top four teams from the division advance to the postseason, while the top two earn hosting honors. Bloomsburg sits on the cusp of playoff contention as they try to fend off three other teams for the final postseason spot.
The Golden Bears will host their final home regular season game of the year against Mansfield on Saturday, Nov. 2, where the team's graduating class will be honored before the match begins at 1 p.m at Keystone Field.
