SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Top-ranked Kutztown field hockey is headed back to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship after earning a 2-0 victory over No. 4 East Stroudsburg in Friday afternoon's semifinal matchup.
The Golden Bears (18-1, 9-1 PSAC) found their offensive rhythm in the second quarter, with senior
Jessica Traynor (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) and sophomore
Bree Zoccolo (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) each finding the back of the cage to give KU a two-goal advantage. Both goals came off rebounds, as Traynor capitalized at the 23:38 mark before Zoccolo followed with a tally just over two minutes later at 26:01. The back-to-back scores gave Kutztown the momentum heading into halftime.
Kutztown's defense maintained control throughout the second half, keeping the Warriors (15-5, 6-3 PSAC) off the scoreboard and preserving the shutout. Both teams recorded just three shots apiece over the final two quarters as the Golden Bears protected their lead and limited East Stroudsburg's offensive opportunities.
KU finished the contest with 15 shots, putting 11 on goal, while East Stroudsburg recorded four shots with two on target. Despite entering the matchup as two of the PSAC's top teams in penalty corner opportunities, East Stroudsburg limited Kutztown to just three corners. The Golden Bears also kept the Warriors to only two penalty corners throughout the contest.
With the semifinal victory, Kutztown advances to the PSAC Championship game for the fourth time in program history. The Golden Bears will look to make history as they pursue the program's first conference championship.
Kutztown now turns its attention to a championship rematch against defending PSAC champion Shippensburg. The Golden Bears will take on the Raiders at Robb Sports Complex in Shippensburg on Sunday at noon, with the conference title on the line.Â
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