KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The No. 20 Kutztown University women's soccer will begin its NCAA Division II championship run Friday at 3 p.m. at Keystone Field as the second seed in the Atlantic region, taking on seventh-seeded Point Park University in the first round of the tournament.
Friday's matchup marks the first meeting between Kutztown and Point Park in program history. Both teams have faced common MEC opponents this season, with Kutztown defeating Charleston (W.Va.), 3-1, and Point Park earning a 1-0 victory. Point Park also defeated West Virginia State, 2-1, while the Golden Bears played the Yellow Jackets to a 2-2 draw.
The Golden Bears enter the NCAA tournament with a 16-2-2 overall record after finishing 12-1-1 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play. Kutztown will make its sixth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance.
The Pioneers come into Friday's matchup with a 13-6-1 overall record and a 12-3-1 mark in Mountain East Conference play. Point Park is led offensively by Rebecca Pihlgreen, who has recorded nine goals and three assists for 17 points this season. In goal, Nicole Kuchinski recorded 13 shutout victories and 81 saves this season.
Kutztown brings a high-powered offensive into the postseason, totaling 56 goals this season. PSAC Freshman of the Year
Carly Louey (Hanover, Pa./South Western), leads the Maroon and Gold with 15 goals and six assists. Senior forward
Corinne Morgan (Port Republic, N.J./Cedar Creek) follows with 11 goals and four assists.
Defensively, PSAC East Defender of the Year
Maura Day (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Abington) has played a significant role in defense and offense. The defender leads the team with seven assists, while contributing five goals. Senior goalkeeper morgan O'Donnell has anchored the Kutztown defense, totaling 44 saves, with eight recorded shutouts, along with four combined shutouts.
Ticket sales will be cashless and available on site only. Ticket prices will be $13 for adults and $8 for students (K-12/seniors +65). Students from PSAC institutions are free with a valid student ID. Children who have not yet reached kindergarten (Pre-K) are also free. The livestream and stats links can be found on the Kutztown women's soccer schedule page.
The other first-round matchup in the Atlantic Region will feature third-seeded Fairmont State against sixth-seeded West Chester at noon Friday. The winners of both first-round contests will advance to Sunday's second-round matchup, scheduled for 3 p.m.at Keystone Field.
