Millersville, Pa. - Olivia Hershey and
Aliza Mizak scored two goals apiece as No. 1 Millersville steamrolled No. 4 Kutztown by a 4-1 score Wednesday afternoon at Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium.
It was as convincing a win as any of Millersville's 15 wins all season, holding the PSAC's No. 2 offense to only one goal, which came with no time left on the clock in regulation. Kutztown's eight-game winning streak was halted and top goal scorer Anna Behm was not only held without a goal for the first time in 10 games, she didn't manage a shot against a swarming Marauder defense. Kutztown had scored at least two goals in each game since Sept. 18.
Millersville (15-1, 7-1 PSAC) out-shot the Golden Bears (12-4, 7-2 PSAC) by a 23-4 margin, posted a 12-2 edge in shots on goal and a 24-4 advantage in penalty corners. Millersville matched season highs in goals and corners.
Kutztown opened the game with a corner and shot in the opening minute. A turnover in the defensive backfield gave Kutztown's Madison Wampler a one-on-one opportunity with Marauder keeper
Samantha Rumler. Rumler turned the game with one lunging kick save.
From there, the Marauders dominated. They earned 17 penalty corners in the first half, maintaining possession for nearly the entire final 33 minutes of the half. But the breakthrough goal didn't come until after the 16th corner in the 33rd minute.
Courtney Weaver's blistered shot found the stick of Mizak, who redirected it out of the air, into the back of the cage.
The offensive onslaught continued into the second half. In the 57th minute, Hershey scored her first of two goals by rebounding her own shot that was initially saved. Just over three minutes later, Hershey hit a rocket from the top of the circle that buzzed through the Kutztown defense.
Margaret Thorwart picked up the assist on the play.
The Marauders' final score came at 62:17 when Mizak won a battle for the ball in front of the cage and managed to poke it past Kayla Denlinger.
Mizak's scores boosted her season total to a team-high nine. Hershey's goals were her sixth and seventh of the season.
Millersville's win over Kutztown coupled with East Stroudsburg's loss at Shippensburg, puts the Marauders and Warriors in a tie for first place in the PSAC standings. ESU holds the head-to-head tiebreaker. Two league games remain on Millersville's schedule. The club travels to Indiana (Pa.) on Saturday, Oct. 24 for an 11 a.m. start.
