KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The 2019 season will bring a new look to the Kutztown University women's soccer team. With the renovation of Kutztown field, KU will have a ton of positive energy around the program, as it continues to compete to achieve its lofty, yearly goals of winning championships.
 
Not only will the field be different for the Golden Bears this year, but the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) has also changed up its format for women's soccer. Since 2010, the PSAC has had a single division. With the addition of Shepherd University to the conference, the PSAC is now instituting two divisions (East and West), a first since it last had two divisions in 2009. Each team plays each other twice during the regular season.
 
Kutztown was recently voted second in the Eastern Division of the PSAC preseason poll, behind defending conference champs and nationally-ranked Bloomsburg. Nationally-ranked West Chester, 2017 PSAC champion East Stroudsburg, and 2018 semifinalist Millersville round out the top-five in a very competitive division featuring a majority of the top teams in the Atlantic Region.
 
But head coach Erik Burstein, beginning his 13th season as head coach, once again has an experienced and talented team that has played in big, postseason games earlier in their careers.
 
"I have tremendous faith in this group," said Burstein. "We have some exceptional athletes who work hard, have great attitudes, buy into our culture, believe in our system and have worked hard to adapt to their new roles and responsibilities. They are an exciting group who truly want to be successful, and I believe they will be. However, we all know this new divisional format will provide some very different and unique challenges. We need to focus on one game at a time and make sure we finish in the top-four in the East. Once that is accomplished, we can start thinking about competing for championships. Stay humble and stay focused; one game at a time."
 
KU finished the 2018 season at 14-4-2 overall and qualified for both the PSAC and NCAA Atlantic Region tournaments. It was the third consecutive NCAA berth and eighth in 10 years. Dating back to the 2008 season, Kutztown has earned 11 straight PSAC Tournament appearances.
 
FORWARD
 
At the forefront of the attack is senior captain Emily Zwiercan (Reinholds, Pa./Cocalico). Zwiercan finished fourth in the PSAC with 11 goals and sixth with 25 points last season. She ranks fourth all-time in KU history with 30 goals, fourth with 18 assists and tied for second with 78 points. The two-time All-Atlantic Region and All-PSAC First Teamer has been penciled into the starting lineup in 40-of-41 games the last two seasons.
 
"Emily is a special player, and may be the very best attacking player to have ever played at KU," Burstein said. "Her quality is never in question and there is no doubt she will continue being the focal point of our attack. However, this year we have organized our team to provide more support for our target forwards and we believe this will not only help us create more goal scoring opportunities, but it will also get more players involved in the attack; something we did not do a good job of last year."
 
Senior Schyler Ackerman (Mountville, Pa./Hempfield) brings leadership and experience up top, having played in 44 career games. She scored a goal and added two assists as a junior. Sophomore Gabby Kane (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) made an immediate impact as a freshman, finishing with three goals and one assist for seven points, fourth on the team.
 
Rachel Rizzo (Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional), Brittany Arentz (Mount Wolf, Pa./Northeastern), Maggie Cecere (Batavia, N.Y./Batavia), Gennyka Liebenthal (Monroe Township, N.J./Monroe Township) and Lauren Epler (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) all started at least one game last season, and will all compete to provide some scoring for the Maroon and Gold. Chelsea Fadio (Audubon, N.J./Audubon) and Caelan Brooks (Bear, Del./Appoquinimink) are both veteran presences up front that will look to make their mark this season.
 
Freshmen Allison Staub (Dover, Pa./Dover), Madison Fey (Zionsville, Pa./Emmaus) and Ally Doyle (Hackettstown, N.J./Hackettstown) all have the chance to break into the rotation in their first year on campus.
 
"We have a number of players who will see time here," said Burstein. "We are talented in this area of the field and have seen a number of returning players develop brilliantly over the summer. We also have a couple of freshmen who have shown flashes of quality in this role."
 
MIDFIELD
 
The position group that may have dealt with the most attrition since last year due to graduations and injuries, the midfield may still be the strongest unit on the team this year.
 
"In a short time working with this group I have been absolutely thrilled with the way the players have taken to their new roles and responsibilities," Burstein said. "We may actually be stronger in the midfield this year than in previous years. We have great balance throughout. We are athletic, fit, hardworking and very dynamic. This midfield group is very exciting to watch and they will be a vocal point of our system this year."
 
Juniors Savanna Harrison (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) and Sam LaBianca (Beachwood, N.J./Toms River South) have the most experience of the group, starting a combined 31 games last season. Sophomore Kayla Argen (Cresco, Pa./Pocono Mountain East) was another immediate contributor as a freshman, starting 16-of-20 games in her first collegiate season and finishing with four goals and a team-high five assists for 13 points.
 
Junior Sarah Reidy (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle) is a transfer from Edinboro where she appeared in all 34 games the last two seasons. Also in their first years in Maroon and Gold are freshmen Julia Belfonti (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin), Kylee MacLeod (Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) and Olivia Vivirito (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East).
 
"Having restructured our system this season, we anticipate a massive group of players rotating through our midfield," said Burstein. "We have so much depth in this area, and there are so many variations of players we will rotate though during the course of the season. I have been extremely impressed with the midfield group and I think they will be instrumental in our success this season."
 
DEFENSE
 
Kutztown returns three-of-four starters from last year's team and another one that came on strong at the end of the season. The unit gave up the least goals (9) in a season in program history in 2018.
 
Experience will not be an issue on the back end as senior captain Kristina Miller (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn), classmate Kaylee Kupiec (Deptford, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) and junior Anna Hull (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) all have started almost 30 games each over the last two seasons. Miller is an All-Atlantic Region and All-PSAC First Teamer and the rock of the defense.
 
Sophomore Molly McHarg (Limerick, Pa./Spring-Ford) started in nine-of-16 games played last year. Senior Courtney Browning (Camp Hill, Pa./Camp Hill) will take on more of an expanded role in her last year with the program. Sophomores Alisea Munshower (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern York) and Destiny Wiatr (Runnemede, N.J./Triton Regional), along with freshman Danielle Satola (Fulton, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel) will look to make contributions.
 
"The back line this year may be the best group of backs we have ever had at KU," Burstein said. "Not only are they excellent individual defenders, but we have so much depth defensively. Although our back line will be very strong again this year, it is the disciplined approach to our team defending that I think will really help us continue to be a very difficult team to breakdown."
 
GOALIE
 
Senior Jenna Bracken (Wanaque, N.J./Lakeland Regional) has been the number one choice in net for most of her career at KU. She holds program records in career wins (32) and shutouts (22). Last season, Bracken earned All-America status and was voted the PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Year, finishing with a career-high 78 saves and a .918 save percentage, tops in the conference.
 
Alexis Saladino (Selden, N.Y./Newfield) is ready for her first action as a Golden Bear after redshirting in 2018.
 
"Jenna is looking very sharp and Alexis has come back from an injury and is doing an amazing job," said Burstein. "We have two excellent goalkeepers and they are both performing well during training."
 
UP NEXT
 
Kutztown begins its 2019 campaign with back-to-back road games. It will take on the University of Charleston (WV) in the season opener on Thursday, Sept. 5, and then play at Millersville on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The home-opener in the brand-new Keystone Field complex will be Saturday night, Sept. 14, under the lights at 6 p.m., against East Stroudsburg.