KUTZTOWN, Pa. — The 2023 national champions and 2024 national runners-up, the Kutztown University field hockey team, is ranked the 2025 preseason No. 1 team in the nation at the Division II level, according to the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division II Coaches Poll released Tuesday morning.

Kutztown received 55 first-place votes, edging defending national champion Saint Anselm, which collected 52. The Penn Monto/NFHCA Division II Coaches Poll is a weekly composite ranking of the top 10 teams in the nation with a record of .500 or better and is released every Tuesday during the season.

In addition to its national recognition, Kutztown was also selected as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) preseason favorite. The Golden Bears posted a 16-6 overall record and went 6-3 in conference play last season.

The PSAC continues to dominate the national landscape, with East Stroudsburg (No. 3), Shippensburg (No. 4), Bloomsburg (No. 6), West Chester (No. 7) and Mansfield (No. 9) all ranked in the NFHCA's preseason top 10.

Following back-to-back NCAA Division II Championship game appearances, Kutztown looks to make it three in a row this fall, led by returning seniors Erin Gonzalez (East Earl, Pa./Garden Spot), the Golden Bears' leading scorer in 2024 with 13 goals, and midfielder Grace Harrold (York, Pa./Central York), both named to the NFHCA Preseason Watchlist.

Kutztown opens the 2025 season on Thursday, Sept. 4, at 2 p.m., with a top-10 matchup against No. 8 Southern New Hampshire at Andre Reed Stadium.