KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Senior Rachel Galasso (Sweet Valley, Pa./Lake Lehman) scored twice to lead No. 1 Kutztown field hockey to a 3-1 victory over No. 5 West Chester on Tuesday. The Golden Bears (14-0, PSAC 5-0) rallied after surrendering an early goal, overcoming their first deficit of the season to secure the win over the nationally ranked Golden Rams (8-5, PSAC 5-1).
West Chester struck within the opening two minutes to take a 1-0 lead, but Kutztown responded quickly. Galasso found the back of the cage on a penalty corner, converting an opportunity off an assist from junior Taylor Vaccaro (Oley, Pa./Oley Valley) to even the score.
The teams continued to battle throughout the first half, with much of the game being played within the midfield. Kutztown took its first lead in the second quarter when sophomore Jade Traynor (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) recorded her first goal of the season. Traynor finished a play set up by her twin sister, sophomore Julia Traynor (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen), giving the Golden Bears a 2-1 advantage.
West Chester continued to pressure the Kutztown defense, recording nine shots against the Golden Bears and forcing four saves. Kutztown held the Rams off the scoreboard after their opening goal, maintaining its one-goal lead into the final minutes.
Galasso added an insurance goal at 57:26, converting her second penalty corner of the game off an insert from sophomore Meryl Mesenbrink (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead). The goal secured the 3-1 victory and capped Galasso's two-goal performance, which moved her into the top five in goals scored in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
Kutztown continues its challenging road stretch at noon, traveling to face No. 3 Shippensburg on Saturday.
