KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- Second-ranked Kutztown University field hockey kept its perfect start to the 2026 season rolling Sunday with a 9-0 shutout of Southern Connecticut State at Andre Reed Stadium.
The Golden Bears (3-0) dominated from whistle-to-whistle, recording 42 shots (32 on goal) and 28 penalty corners while holding their opponent without a single shot for the second day in a row.
Midfielder
Marissa Rice (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) scored three times in the opening half as Kutztown (3-0) built a 6-0 lead after 30 minutes. The junior got the Bears on the board just 3:12 in, converting an assist from junior
Marlee Fetrow (Birdsboro, Pa./Daniel Boone) off a penalty corner. The duo connected again five minutes later, with Rice deflecting Fetrow's shot past SCSU (0-2) goalie Rachel Miller to account for both of KU's first quarter markers.
The flood gates opened for the Maroon and Gold in the second with four goals on eight shots.
Ellie Myers (Denver, Pa./Cocalico) found the back of the cage off a quick pass from freshman
Anna Harris (Reston, Va./South Lakes) to make it 3-0 at 19:30. Just over two minutes later, junior
Taylor Vaccaro (Oley, Pa./Oley Valley) added another goal, striking to the left off an assist from
Jessica Traynor (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen). Rice completed her hat trick at 24:33, scoring off a penalty corner with an assist from
Olivia Kirkpatrick (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra).
Senior
Jordan Stroup (Millerstown, Pa./Greenwood) rounded out the first half scoring at 25:34 with her first of two on the afternoon.
Bree Zoccolo (Lititz, Pa./Warwick)Â picked up the helper on the goal that carried KU to the half with a 6-0 advantage.
Kirkpatrick recorded the lone goal of the third quarter and her first of the season, converting a penalty stroke at 32:03. Stroup netted her second at 52:51 with
Kaylee Zellers (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin)Â inserting the penalty corner. Kirkpatrick buried another penalty stroke at 57:31 and is now a perfect 6-for-6 in her career.
Goalies
Lorelai Lehenky (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville),
Tess Adolf (Lawrence, N.J./Lawrence) and
Corinne Bull (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville) combined on the shutout despite not being called upon to make a save. SCSU attempted just one corner, which came early in the second half.
Under fire all afternoon, the Owls' goalie duo of Miller and Lyndsay Troisi played admirably in defeat. Troisi came on at halftime to turn away 14 shots while allowing just three goals. Miller yieled six goals and made nine saves in the first 30 minutes.
Kutztown travels north for a pair of games next weekend. They'll take on No. 6 Saint Anselm in Manchester, N.H., at 11 a.m., Saturday, before heading to Worcester, Mass., to face off with Assumption, Sunday, at noon.
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