KUTZTOWN, Pa. – No. 11 West Chester broke open a close game with a six-goal second quarter and went on to defeat No. 15 Kutztown 18-4 Wednesday evening at Keystone Field in PSAC East action.
The result was a stark contrast from the teams' first meeting this season on March 18, when the Golden Bears (7-5, 3-4 PSAC East) fell just short in a 14-12 decision to the Rams (11-2, 7-1 PSAC East).
Four different Golden Bears found the back of the net, with goals spread across the first three quarters. Kutztown scored once in each of the first two quarters and added two in the third before West Chester took control in the fourth.
The Bears drew first blood after 11 minutes of play.
Sophie Engelhardt (Hellertown, Pa./Saucon Valley) weaved through West Chester defenders at the 3:55 mark to open the scoring, though the Rams responded with two goals to take a 2-1 lead into the second quarter.
West Chester extended its lead with six unanswered goals to open the second quarter before
Katie Yocum (Hanover, Pa./South Western) broke through with 16 seconds remaining in the half, finishing a feed from
Isabella Montuori (Bohemia, N.Y./Connetquot) to make it 8-2 at the break.
The third quarter was the most competitive frame of the game, with both teams trading goals.
Lauren LaMorte (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) scored first for Kutztown at 11:36, finishing off a Yocum pass.
Sammy Ruwet (Swedesboro, N.J./Kingsway Regional) added the Bears' final goal with a perfectly placed eight-meter free-position shot at 7:53, cutting the deficit to 10-4 entering the final quarter.
West Chester closed the game with eight unanswered goals in the fourth to reach the 18-4 final.
Marisa Bragg (Ringoes, N.J./Hunterdon Central) and
Camryn Storey (Hanover, Pa./South Western) split time in the cage, combining for four saves.
Despite the margin, Kutztown showed fight in several statistical categories. The Golden Bears matched West Chester in total shots (28-22) and won the ground ball battle 26-21, with LaMorte collecting a game-high four. The Rams held advantages in shots on goal (22-11) and draw controls (16-7), with
Molly Convery (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) and Yocum each winning two for the Bears.
The Golden Bears continue PSAC East play on the road Saturday, April 11, traveling to Shippensburg for a noon matchup.
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