ERIE, Pa. – The third-seeded Kutztown University women's soccer team couldn't replicate the magic that got them to the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championships, as the Golden Bears left McConnell Family Stadium in shock after a goal in the final 30 seconds gave the Gannon Golden Knights a 3-2 victory in Sunday evening's matchup.
The Golden Bears (12-5-6, 7-3-6 PSAC East) struggled to match the pace put forward by the second-seeded Golden Knights (16-1-4, 10-0-4 PSAC West), who spent a lot of game time on the attacking side before landing a goal well within the 89th minute to advance to the Atlantic Region Finals.
Kutztown opened the game with an early lead, as junior forward Caroline McDonald (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) outran Gannon's defense and flew through a midfield crease to give the Golden Bears the early advantage, executing on a favorable matchup against the opposing keeper at the end.
From that point forward, however, fifth-ranked Gannon seemed to be one step ahead of Kutztown's defense. The home team's two first-half goals shifted momentum heading into the break, while their defense silenced KU's attack for a good portion of the second frame.
Maura Day (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Abington) buried a free kick to tie the game in the 81st minute, but as most in attendance thought the game would be headed to overtime, Gannon's Paige Taylor buried the goal into the left side of the net, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
Gannon overpowered Kutztown in all facets of the game, holding a 24-5 shot advantage while putting eight shots on frame to Kutztown's three. Gannon led the game with nine corner attempts to Kutztown's two.
Kutztown goalie Cassidy Howes (Havre de Grace, Md./Havre de Grace) fought through one of the most aggressive attacks she has faced all season, as the freshman made five saves while eliminating a handful of additional threats from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference regular season champions.
Gannon advances to the third round of the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Tournament, where they will travel to Shepherdstown, W. Va., to face top-seeded Shepherd for the Atlantic Region Crown on Sunday, Dec. 1.
Kutztown ends their season with 12 wins, a mark it has reached in three of their past four seasons. Head coach Erik Burstein's squad recorded a winning record in conference competition for the 16th consecutive season, while the Golden Bears turned in a winning overall record for the 22nd straight year. They fought a road battle in the PSAC Women's Soccer Championship, where they handed Gannon their lone loss of the season in a 2-1 battle in front of their home crowd last Friday.
Burstein can look forward to returning a strong pool of talent in 2025, one that features First Team All-PSAC forward Caroline McDonald (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) and Second Team All-PSAC midfielder Katelyn Economopoulos (Grantville, Pa./Lower Dauphin). Other returning players include goalkeepers Cassidy Howes (Havre de Grace, Md./Havre de Grace) and Morgan O'Donnell (West Chester, Pa./Bayard Rustin), starting forward Corinne Morgan (Port Republic, N.J./Cedar Creek), midfielders Maura Day (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Abington) and Mary Nangle (Chalfont, Pa./Central Bucks South) and defender Skyler Jordan (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth).
