KUTZTOWN, Pa. – A pair of sophomores accounted for the scoring and a freshman/junior combo locked down the defense as No. 1 seed, Kutztown, shut out the fourth seed, West Chester, 2-0 in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference semifinal round game Friday afternoon at Andre Reed Stadium.
 
Olivia Kirkpatrick (Annville, Pa./Palmyra) and Marissa Rice (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) both netted third quarter goals just 3:10 apart from each other to pace the offense. Tess Adolf (Lawrence, N.J./Lawrence) finished with four saves in net in her first collegiate postseason start and Rachel Galasso (Sweet Valley, Pa./Lake Lehman) came up with an important defensive save in the first quarter to keep the game scoreless.
 
The Golden Bears keep racking up the wins in 2025 and are now 19-0 overall, tied for the most wins a season in program history, joining the 2023 squad that won the NCAA National Championship.
 
Kutztown is back in the PSAC Championship game for the first time since 2019 and for just the third time in program history. KU is looking to win its first conference title.
 
The two teams were held scoreless through the first half of play, albeit not because of a lack of chances on cage. The Golden Rams (13-6), who finished with six shots total, had four of them in the first half, with Adolf saving two and Galasso getting her stick in the way of a WCU shot that was destined for the back of the cage at the 20:13 mark.
 
Just 2:17 into the third quarter, Erin Gonzalez (East Earl, Pa./Garden Spot) took a shot on cage and a Golden Rams defender was behind the goalie and took the shot off her body which resulted in a penalty stroke. Kirkpatrick, the two-time defending PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Week, stepped up to the spot and delivered the game's first goal, her seventh of the season.
 
Just 3:10 later, Gonzalez took the penalty corner, Taylor Vaccaro (Oley, Pa./Oley Valley) recorded an initial shot that was blocked, but the ball came to Rice, who then sent a back-handed shot that dribbled past Alina Burger for the second goal of the game and Rice's 13th tally of the season.
 
The Maroon and Gold defense only allowed one shot the rest of the way, a shot that was once again saved by Adolf.
 
Kutztown awaits its opponent in Sunday's PSAC final, between the second seed, East Stroudsburg, and third seed, Shippensburg. Game is set for noon from Andre Reed Stadium.

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