Golden Bears Fall on the Road to Mercyhurst

ERIE, Pa. – Kutztown had four different goal scorers but ran into one of the top teams in the conference in Mercyhurst on Friday in PSAC action. KU dropped the afternoon contest, 20-6.

The Golden Bears (3-5 overall, 0-3 PSAC) were led offensively by its senior attacker Leeann Pica (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy). Pica scored three goals against the Lakers (5-3, 3-0) to improve her team-leading season total to 14.

Pica scored the first two goals for Kutztown. Mercyhurst put in three goals in the opening 2:17, but the pair of Pica goals brought the game to 4-2 with 21:36 remaining in the first half.

The Lakers scored four unanswered in the next ten minutes of play until KU freshman Jillian Spencer (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) broke the run with her sixth goal of the year. Sophomore Rosa Buffolino (Monroe Township, NJ/Monroe Township) ended the first half scoring with a goal at the 3:08 mark as KU trailed 11-4 at the half.

Pica scored the first goal of the second half just over a minute into play. Unfortunately, the Lakers rattled off eight straight goals to put the game out of reach. Sophomore Lauren Schlitt (Baldwin, NY/Oceanside) scored the final goal of the game and her third of the season with 5:03 to go off an assist from Krystine Beodeker (Dingmans Ferry, Pa./Delaware Valley).

Sophomore JoAnn McLaughlin started in goal for KU and made 18 saves with a pair of caused turnovers.

Senior Megan Schwar (Alpha, NJ/Phillipsburg) had two opening half assists and leads KU with five this season. She also had two draw controls.

Marisa Kalodner (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) and Schlitt each picked up three ground balls.

Ally Keirn, Rebecca Himes, and Alisha Catalino each scored four goals to lead the Lakers. MU outshot Kutztown, 49-10, as Jenny Perkins picked up the win in net.

Kutztown returns to action out west on Saturday as it travels to Gannon (4-3, 2-0) for a PSAC contest. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.

2012-03-30