KUTZTOWN, Pa. — The Marauders offense could not get anything going as Millersville fell to Kutztown 2–0 on Wednesday night. The loss dropped the Marauders in-conference record to 2–6, eliminating them from earning a spot in the PSAC tournament.
 
After pushing the Golden Bears to overtime in their first matchup earlier in late-September, the opportunistic Marauders attack was not able to replicate its performance this time around. The No. 3 Golden Bears had control of the game early on and never let up. Neither team had much going for them in the first quarter, but Kutztown began to build momentum with a pair of penalty corners and shots on target, both of which were stopped by Kerstin Koons.
 
The Golden Bears started the second quarter and picked up where they left off, pressing the Marauders defense and forcing them to defend two more corners and Koons to make another stop. At the midway point of the frame, Kutztown finally broke through off a penalty corner. Jessica Traynor was able to find space on the right side of the field, getting in position to redirect a shot-pass from Marlee Fetrow for the first goal of the game. The Marauders had chances to push on a counterattack, but the Kutztown midfield smothered the Marauders and regained possession, closing the first half with a 1–0 lead.
 
Kutztown came out of the break and generated the first chances of the second half with two corners and three shot attempts. The Marauders defense did its best to bend and not break, as Koons recorded another pair of saves while the defense got in the way of a third shot attempt in the flurry. As the third quarter wound down, Kutztown was able to double its lead with an insurance goal from Megan Doyle off a Greenleigh McGehee assist. Millersville's first shot attempt of the game came right after the Golden Bears goal, but it went wide left to cap off the third quarter.
 
The Marauders best chance of the night came with about five minutes remaining, nearly breaking through the Golden Bears defense to make things interesting. Erin Esterhuizen had the opportunity, but Kutztown's Mia Kepler made a great save to keep the shutout intact and shut down the Marauders hopes of a comeback. 
 
Millersville will finish its regular season against Mansfield on at 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1 in Mansfield, Pa.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Marauders had just two shot attempts to Kutztown's 15, putting one on net while the Golden Bears had 12 attempts on target.
• The Golden Bears control of the game was reflected throughout the box score, not only in shots but also in penalty corners. Kutztown held a 15–3 advantage in that category as well. 

POSTGAME REACTION FROM HEAD COACH SHELLY BEHRENS

• Opening thoughts on the game: "I loved our pressure in the first two quarters of the game, and I thought the kids made some really good adjustments going into the second half. It's just been the same storyline as the rest of the season. Unfortunately, we have a great supporting cast, we just have to find a way to put the ball in the net. 
• On what will motivate the team in the season finale: "I don't have to rally them. They already know that we're not lowering the standard. We are Millersville field hockey and that's how we're going to play. We're going to keep the standard high and play as if everything is on the line, because there's going to be another time when it is.
• On how they look to finish the season: "For us, it's about keeping a high standard and finishing with pride. I'm not disappointed in them, I'm disappointed for them. We just never turned the corner the way I thought we would, but we're not going to lower the standard against Mansfield. We're going to come out and give it our best."
• On the team's approach to the last game with its fate sealed: "I'd have to think about [any changes]. If I'm being honest, I'm going to use my own 24-hour-rule. We want to always prepare people for what's next. So, for right now, our aim is to go out and win the game, and we're going to put the personnel on the field to do that."