KUTZTOWN, Pa. - The No. 9 Mansfield Mountaineer field hockey team (10-9) returned to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) postseason to face No. 3 Kutztown (14-4) in their quarterfinal contest, but the Golden Bears earned their semifinal bid, coming out with the 2-1 victory in one for the history books, with the Mounties taking the host to their limit in a shootout thriller.

For the Mounties, this appearance stands as the first back-to-back postseason berths in program history. This was the second time the two conference members faced off this year after Mansfield knocked off Kutztown, 2-1, on October 15.

Jenna Duke posted the emphatic stand out moment for Mansfield with her first shot on the day, rattling the cage through the goalkeeper's legs off an assist from Ashtyn Price to earn the Mountaineers lead just nine minutes in and the advantage after the first quarter.

Kutztown felt the pressure and struck back right away in the second quarter after two penalty corners to tie up this conference clash right before halftime with a 1-1 deadlock.

The Golden Bears wanted to use their home field advantage out of the locker rooms and give the crowd a chance to erupt, sending four shots in the first eight minutes of the third quarter, but August Lewis and the Mountaineer trio of Sophia Vadnais, Regan Fiorito, and Olivia Kline were able to disrupt any chance  of taking a deficit. 

KU earned three shots and two penalty corners to start the fourth quarter, but Lewis stood strong and limited any damage.

When many thought a simple ending leads to overtime, Mansfield earned two penalty corners with 22 seconds remaining as Kenedy Stroup sent in a close final shot before the regulation buzzer sent the two teams to the golden goal format.

Seven minutes of Kutztown pelting the Mountaineer defense happened through the first overtime, but Mansfield the five shots and three penalty corners with Lewis making five unstoppable saves to hold the Golden Bears for the first ten minutes.

The Mounties used those save skills as a chance to force a game winner in the second overtime, with three shots, but a defensive save at the goal line and a post knocker kept the Golden Bears alive as the quarterfinal battle headed to a shootouts. 

After a controversial first goal in the eight second battle, Esh retook her first shot with no success and Kutztown used the change momentum to grab a 3-1 difference in the final eight seconds. 

Lewis finished her career performance day with 14 saves to end her amazing career. 

SHOOTOUTS

MANSFIELD           KUTZTOWN         
 

Melanie Esh - MISS	Juliana Donato - MADE
Kenedy Stroup - MISS	Erin Gonzalez - MADE
Jenna Duke - MISS	Grace Harrold - MISS
Ella Du Plessis - MADE	Sarah Gatehouse - MADE

 



This concludes the 2024 season for the field hockey program.