EAST STROUDSBURG – For the first time this season, the East Stroudsburg University women's field hockey team left the field without a victory as the fifth-ranked Kutztown Golden Bears defeated the third-ranked Warriors 2-1 in double-overtime on Wednesday at Whitenight Field.
ESU (7-1) surrendered a goal in the first half for the first time this season but would respond with a goal of its own in the second quarter. The Warriors were also out-shot by their opponent for the first time this season in a contest.
The Golden Bears, who defeated their second top-three program in as many games, opened the scoring at the 6:44 mark as Mackenzie Fuhrman beat ESU senior goalkeeper
Maddie Richie to give Kutztown a 1-0 advantage.
The goal ended a shutout streak for Richie to start the season and snapped a four-game shutout streak for ESU.
ESU would hold the Golden Bears' offense at bay for the rest of the first half and look to knot the score in the second quarter. Sophomore
Hannah Barbush netted the equalizer for the Warriors at the 27:05 mark of the quarter after she found a loose ball in front of Kutztown goalkeeper Katie Dotterweich.
Richie made a pair of big saves in the second half and first overtime for ESU as the Warriors kept the score knotted at 1-1. The save in the first overtime period came off a shot by Kyra Wozniak, who worked past the ESU defense and tried to beat Richie to the right.
Kutztown needed just 2:23 of playing time in the second overtime to complete the upset against the Warriors as Wozniak found herself with another breakaway following a penalty corner by the Warriors. She would spin past an ESU defender and take a backhand shot to beat Richie inside the far post.
Richie (7-1) finished the contest with three saves despite allowing her first two goals of the season in net for the Warriors. Dotterweich finished with three saves for Kutztown and helped the Golden Bears improve to 5-2 on the season.
The Warriors open PSAC play this weekend as ESU travels to IUP for a 1 p.m. matchup on Saturday. ESU then heads to Shippensburg next Wednesday for a meeting with the Raiders at 1:30 p.m.
