BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – Eight different Golden Bears found the back of the net and teamwork was the story of the day as No. 15 Kutztown dominated Bloomsburg 21-9 Wednesday afternoon at Steph Pettit Stadium.
The victory featured a parade of career performances and milestones. Junior
Maddie Wagner (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) erupted for a career-high seven goals, while junior
Lauren LaMorte (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) reached the 100-point milestone with three goals and three assists.
Sophie Engelhardt (Hellertown, Pa./Saucon Valley) posted a career-high seven points on two goals and five assists,
Isabella Montuori (Bohemia, N.Y./Connetquot) set a career best with four goals, and
Katie Yocum (Hanover, Pa./South Western) recorded a career-high five assists to go with two goals for seven points. Sophomore
Gabriella Mina (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) scored her first goal of the season, and freshman
Olivia Lewis (Cape May, N.J./Lower Cape May Regional) notched her first career goal as a Golden Bear.
Kutztown's 21 goals, tied for the most they've scored against an opponent this season, showcased exceptional ball movement. Of the 21 tallies, 17 were assisted, two came on free-position opportunities, and just two were without helpers, highlighting the unselfish play of the 15th-ranked team in the nation.
The game started evenly, with both teams trading goals in a 4-4 first quarter. Yocum, LaMorte, Engelhardt, and Wagner each scored for the Golden Bears (7-3, 3-2 PSAC East) in the opening frame. Montuori added a goal at 9:25 in the second quarter before Kutztown broke the game open.
With 3:44 remaining in the second quarter, Wagner ignited the decisive run. She scored four goals in the final minutes of the half—at 3:44, 3:13, 1:00, and 0:49—with Montuori adding her second at 1:13 to send Kutztown into halftime with a commanding 10-4 lead.
Bloomsburg (2-6, 1-3 PSAC East) tried to mount a comeback in the third quarter, scoring four goals including a three-goal run, but the Golden Bears answered with five of their own to maintain control. LaMorte, Montuori (two), Wagner, and Yocum all found the net in the third to push the lead to 15-8 entering the fourth.
The fourth quarter opened with a blistering start. Wagner tallied her seventh just 13 seconds in, LaMorte completed her hat trick at 30 seconds, and Engelhardt notched her second at 47 seconds to build a 10-goal cushion at 18-8.
Alexis Plesic (Hanover, Pa./South Western), Mina, and Lewis added goals to close out the scoring, 21-9.
Defensively, Kutztown played a complete game, posting a shutout in the second quarter and allowing just one goal in the fourth. Senior goalkeeper
Marisa Bragg (Ringoes, N.J./Hunterdon Central) made 10 saves and surrendered only five goals after the 4-4 first quarter.
Rowan Hall (Sloatsburg, N.Y./Suffern) anchored the defense with four caused turnovers, three ground balls, and three draw controls. Plesic matched Hall with three ground balls, while
Avery Hershey (Denver, Pa./Cocalico) and Yocum each won four draw controls.
The Golden Bears are off this Saturday but return to action next Wednesday, April 1, traveling to West Virginia to face Shepherd at 4 p.m.
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