KUTZTOWN, PA (June 23, 2010) -- The Kutztown University women's soccer team will play 18 regular season matches, according to the 2010 schedule released on Wednesday. The 2010 slate is highlighted by three contests against teams that advanced to the 2009 NCAA Championship and nine home matches. (CLICK HERE FOR 2010 SCHEDULE)
Head coach Erik Burstein enters his fourth year at the helm of the Golden Bears, who will look to build on a record-setting 2009 season. Kutztown advanced to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional, and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship contest. They won a school record 15 matches and finished the 2009 season ranked 25th in the final National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Top 25 poll.
Kutztown will open the season by participating in the East Stroudsburg tournament over Labor Day weekend. The Golden Bears kick off the 2010 season against Concord on Friday, September 3 beginning at 5 p.m. Two days later, Kutztown battles Assumption College at 1 p.m. Kutztown opens its home slate against Mercyhurst College for the second straight season on Friday, September 10 beginning at 3 p.m. The Golden Bears beat Mercyhurst, 2-1, in overtime in last year's home and season opener.
The schedule will feature 14 conference matches as every school in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference will play each other once. Kutztown hits the road for all three of its matches against 2009 NCAA participants West Chester (Wednesday, September 15), Indiana Pa (Saturday, September 25) and California (Saturday, October 2). California ended KU's season last year, 3-1, in the second round of the NCAA Atlantic Regional.
Kutztown finishes the regular season with three consecutive home games: Bloomsburg (Saturday, October 23), C.W. Post (Tuesday, October 26) and Mansfield (Saturday, October 30). Eight teams qualify for the 2010 PSAC playoffs.
Senior defender Chelsea Deeter (Langhorne, PA/Neshaminy) (Langhorne/Neshaminy), who was named to the NSCAA All-Atlantic region first team, leads several key returnees and experienced players. Junior forward Chelsea Bressler (Cleona, PA/Annville-Cleona) (Annville/Annville-Cleona) and junior midfielder Shannon Pennock (Mansfield, N.J./Northern Burlington) (North Burlington, NJ/Mansfield) were named to the NSCAA All-Atlantic Region second team. All three players were named to the all-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division first team last year.
