KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- The last handful of seasons for the Kutztown University field hockey team have been nothing short of exciting. Following a historic 20-2 campaign in 2025, the Golden Bears enter the 2026 season looking to build on a year that saw them set program records for wins (20), winning streak (19 games), goals (101) and assists (67).

The Maroon and Gold enter the season atop the PSAC preseason poll and ranked No. 2 nationally in the Penn Monto/NFHCA preseason poll, continuing their place among the nation's elite before the season even begins.

Head coach Marci Scheuing enters her 13th season at the helm of the Golden Bears. Under Scheuing, Kutztown has established itself as a perennial powerhouse at both the PSAC and national levels. Scheuing was named the PSAC's Coach of the Year for the third time following the 2025 season.

"We are incredibly excited to see the hard work that this team has put in during the off-season come to life on the field this fall," Scheuing said. "We are extremely talented and our roster is very deep by position. The team culture is also very strong, which will set this team up for long-term success."

Kutztown returns a talented group of veterans, including All-Americans Olivia Kirkpatrick (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra), Jessica Traynor (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) and Marissa Rice (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg). The Golden Bears also return Tess Adolf (Lawrence, N.J./Lawrence), the 2025 PSAC Rookie of the Year. Kirkpatrick, Traynor and Rice each earned All-PSAC honors as well last season.

"Jess, Liv, and Marissa are each very important parts of the whole," said Scheuing. "They are not only captains, they are also all All-Americans. They lead by example and are incredibly talented. They will make a significant impact this season, both on and off the field."

The PSAC once again boasts a strong collection of nationally ranked programs. East Stroudsburg enters the season at No. 4, West Chester at No. 5 and Bloomsburg at No. 8 in the NFHCA preseason poll. The only team ranked ahead of Kutztown is No. 1 Shippensburg, the same team responsible for both of the Golden Bears' losses in 2025.

"We play against top-level teams in the PSAC every game, which is what I believe makes us better," Scheuing said. "We get to play at such a high level all season long, so every game feels like a playoff game. I am excited to see what this group can do this season with our experience all over the field."

Before opening PSAC play against Shippensburg, Kutztown will face a handful of non-conference opponents. The 2026 regular season begins this Thursday, Sept. 3, when the Golden Bears travel to Adelphi for a 3 p.m., matchup. KU will then host Saint Michael's on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 11 a.m., and Southern Connecticut State on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Both non-conference games are at Andre Reed Stadium.