After a trip to the semifinals of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference playoffs in 2005, the Kutztown University field hockey team struggled last season and missed out on the playoffs for the first time since 2003.

With a wealth of experience returning on both offense and defense, the Golden Bears, who finished 10-10 overall and 5-9 in the PSAC last season, will look to turn it around and get back into the postseason.

Though the KU offense scored 2.89 goals per game, it sputtered at times, and the Golden Bears will look for a more consistent offense to help returning goalkeeper Sam Flowers, a senior who started all 20 games for KU with a 1.98 goals against average. Flowers was saddled with losses in four contests in which she held the opposition to two or fewer goals. She was atop the leaderboard in PSAC play with four shutouts and 10.07 saves per game in her first year as a starter.

Flowers is one of four seniors returning. Defender Laura Wieder and forwards Heather Hoxter and Tristin Ludy round out the senior class. The squad is junior-laden, as seven third-year players who started as sophomores, including Kelley Healey who posted 40 points with 18 goals and four assists last season, are back for 2007.

Healey, a two-time All-American, scored 43 points as a freshman en route to winning the 2005 PSAC Rookie of the Year Award.

Junior back Courtney Geibel, who started all 20 games last season and won All-PSAC second team honors, will anchor the KU defense in front of Flowers. Junior backs Holly Hubbard and Kristin Snyder will line up alongside Geibel. Each made their first starts last season after seeing limited action their freshman year.

Snyder, who started in 19 of 20 contests last season, also made an impact on the offensive side of the field, scoring two goals on 20 shots.

KU will look to replace All-America midfielder Laura Belfatti. Her sister, Jennifer Belfatti, a junior, will try to pick up where Laura left off. The younger Belfatti tallied two assists in 2006 while starting in five of 16 games played.

Redshirt freshman Anne Waapu (r-fr. Hastings, NEW ZEALAND) and true freshman Abbey Sheeler (fr. Fleetwood/Brandywine) also will play in the midfield for KU this season.

Together, the midfield will move the ball ahead to Healey, Hoxter or Ludy. Hoxter is the second leading returning scorer from last season’s squad, posting 15 points on five goals — two were game-winners — and five assists. Ludy added a goal and two assists in her 14 appearances, three of which were starts.

Sophomore Alyssa Maltese, who had a goal and an assist in 11 appearances, also will vie for time at the forward position.

Other returning goal scorers include juniors Lyndsay Butler and Whitney Stum and sophomores Lauren Solley and Carrie Healey, younger sister of Kelley.

Junior Jenna Watt, sophomore Madison Weary and redshirt freshman Alyson Iovacchini also return.

KU will welcome in freshmen Monica Detweiler (fr. Souderton/Christopher Dock HS), Blayke Narehood (fr. Reedsville/Indian Valley HS), Melissa Watson (fr. Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes HS), Courtney Zook (fr. Oley Valley/Oley Valley HS) and Jennifer Williamson (Flemington, NJ/South Hunterdon Regional HS).

Jess DeNault (fr. Hamburg/Hamburg), Jackie Healey (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North HS) and Taylor Sukanick (fr. New Tripoli/LCC) will make their KU debut this year as well. DeNault transferred Lock Haven. Healey, twin sister of Carrie, comes to KU from the University of Delaware. Sukanick is a Lehigh-Carbon Community College transfer.