KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- Kutztown field hockey enters the 2026 season with renewed energy following a historic 2025 campaign that saw it reach the PSAC Championship game and advance to the NCAA Semifinals. That success has carried into preseason, with the Golden Bears ranked No. 2 nationally in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division II Coaches Poll, announced this week.

Kutztown finished 20-2 last season, with both losses coming against PSAC powerhouse Shippensburg. The Raiders claimed the No. 1 spot in the national preseason poll, narrowly edging out the Maroon and Gold, receiving 77 points to KU's 72.

Despite Shippensburg's national ranking, Kutztown was selected first in the PSAC preseason poll, with the Raiders following at No. 2.

The PSAC once again boasts a strong presence in the national rankings, with East Stroudsburg coming in at No. 4, West Chester at No. 5 and Bloomsburg at No. 8.

The Golden Bears also return a trio of All-Americans from last season, including senior midfielder Jessica Traynor (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen), graduate student defender Olivia Kirkpatrick (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra) and junior midfielder Marissa Rice (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg). Their return provides the team with valuable experience as the Golden Bears look to build on last season's postseason success.

Kutztown will begin its 2026 campaign on the road in just one week, traveling to Garden City, N.Y., to take on Adelphi at 3 p.m. The Golden Bears will then make their home debut on Sept. 5, facing Saint Michael's in the opening game of the Kutztown Tournament at 11 a.m.