MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Shippensburg University field hockey team suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Kutztown Golden Bears, 2-1, in an NCAA Division II Semifinal Friday evening at Saint Anselm College's Grappone Field.
 
The No. 2 seed Raiders (15-5) took an early lead on the No. 3 seeded Golden Bears (18-3) thanks to a goal from junior forward Tess Jedeloo, but could not make it stand up, as a penalty stroke goal from KU's Mackenzie Kile with 2:53 remaining was the difference.
 
Shippensburg held the advantage in terms of shots (17-to-13) and shots on target (8-to-4) but were unable to make those opportunities count against the nation's top defense.
 
Jedeloo opened the scoring for Shippensburg six minutes into the first quarter, blasting a long-range missile past Kutztown goalkeeper Mia Kepler for her 20th goal of the season.
 
Kutztown leveled the score five minutes later, with Jessica Traynor hammering home a goal off a KU penalty corner.
 
The two teams traded chances late into the contest, with several Shippensburg counterattacks resulting in dangerous, but ultimately unsuccessful scrambles in front of the KU cage.
 
The Kutztown defense was able to collapse quickly on the Shippensburg attackers, and their pressure did not allow the Raiders space for a clean opportunity to put the ball on frame.
 
In the waning moments of the match, a scramble in front of the Shippensburg cage resulted in a penalty stroke, and Kile calmly slotted the stroke past a diving attempt from SU goalie Emma Albee for the game-winner.
 
Kepler made a season-high seven saves for the Golden Bears in the contest. Albee was credited with two saves for Shippensburg.
 
Friday marked the third meeting between the Raiders and the Golden Bears this season. All three games have been decided by just a single goal.
 
KU's defense was as advertised. The Golden Bears entered play Friday as the NCAA leader in shutouts by a large margin. They have held their opposition without a goal 14 times, five more than any other school in the nation.
 
With Jedeloo's goal Friday, she became the first Raider to reach 20 goals in a season since Jazmin Petrantonio (34) and Jenna Sluymer (24) in 2021.
 
The 2023 season marked Shippensburg's 16th appearance all-time in the NCAA Tournament. SU falls to 17-12 all-time in the tournament with the loss.
 
In the last 10 seasons, the Raiders have qualified for the NCAA Tournament seven times and reached the NCAA National Championship game all but one time prior to this season. They have won an NCAA Championship five times during that span.
 
Friday also marked the final game for a distinguished group of seniors that include six members of the 2021 NCAA Division II National Championship team: Jocelyn Branco, Paige Graber, Mya Kemp, Valu Paul, Chloe Prettyman and Lindsay Tripodo.
 
The Golden Bears will take on another PSAC opponent, defending NCAA Champions and No. 1 seed East Stroudsburg, in Sunday afternoon's National Championship game.