MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – The No. 1-ranked Millersville field hockey team scored a 2-1 win over No. 4 Kutztown Wednesday night on Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium.

The Golden Bears scored in the first quarter off a penalty stroke, but Millersville quickly answered back to tie the game 1-1. The teams battled through two scoreless quarters before securing the lead late in the fourth on a Sol Ortiz-Kreiner penalty stroke.

The win improves Millersville to 4-0 and is the team's third win at home.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
• Just over five minutes into the game, Kutztown drew a penalty stoke and Alyssa Donato put the Golden Bears on the board. The Marauders forced two penalty corners with just under five minutes left in the first quarter setting up the tying point. Pili Zaballa ripped two shots off in the first corner before forcing a second for Millersville. Off the insert from Asia Weaver, Maddy Christen connected with the ball in the circle, finding the back of the cage for the game-tying point.   
• Millersville took control late in the fourth quarter, forcing five penalty corners and ripping seven shots in seven minutes, eventually drawing a penalty stroke. Ortiz-Kreiner stepped up to the line with 4:09 remaining in regulation and delivered the game-winner.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• The Marauders out-shot the Golden Bears 11-5 placing seven shots on the cage to the Golden Bears' two.
• Millersville forced four penalty corners in the first quarter and five in the fourth to top Kutztown 9-4 in corners.
• Autumn Peters recorded one save in the game diving across the cage in the second quarter to force the ball out of the circle, holding Kutztown to the one goal. Senior Jordan Goddard defended the circle for the entire 60 minutes.

COACH SHELLY BEHRENS QUOTES
• "Kutztown is an excellent team. They are lighting it up, scoring some goals. To trade goals with them, one apiece--credit to our defense, credit to our goalkeeping and credit to our team. There were a lot of challenges within the game for us today. I think after we scored the goal, it changed the momentum for it. It was a little bit of an energizer. I would like to see that happen before, but I'm really proud of the kids overcoming some challenges we had today mentally, physically and emotionally. A good team will find a way to win and I think we found a way to do that today."
• "Sol [Ortiz-Kreiner] was really good for us all day. Alexis Gazzio did a great job. Maddy Christen is timely. She's in the right spot. She's just a smart player. I think there are some things we want to see, execution wise, to improve, and that's on us to work on."
• "We came off a bit of a break after Shippensburg and a great win away for us against a really good team. Coming into this game, it was exciting to be back home again and just seeing where we are. It felt like it just took a little bit longer for us to find our way together tonight. We'll take the win, and we'll take the growth of looking at the things we need to do to get better. Tonight was just about playing the game. It's fine, just go have fun."
• "Jordan [Goddard], Meredith [Fagan] and Madeline [Stehly]: those three did a really good job. Those three are fantastic together. Brooke Troutman really does a great job as well."

NOTES
• The Golden Bears' first quarter goal was the first allowed by Millersville this season.
• The Marauders are now 29-30-3 all-time in the series against Kutztown.
• Millersville now holds a 12-game winning streak in the series.
• Coach Behrens moves to 12-8 all-time in the series.

UP NEXT
• Millersville returns home on Friday, Sept. 20 at 3 p.m. on Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium against Newberry.