ERIE, Pa. – The Kutztown University women's lacrosse team put two tough losses behind it and fought its way back into the win column Saturday with a 14-8 road victory at Gannon University in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) action at Gannon's McConnell Family Stadium. The Golden Bears ended the game on an 11-2 run for their first PSAC win of the season.
 
Saturday ended a five-game road-trip for the Golden Bears.
 
Kutztown (4-4, 1-2 PSAC) overcame a three-goal deficit in the first half. Trailing 6-3, Kutztown scored six-in-a-row and ended the game on an 11-2 run that started with six minutes to play in the first half. The KU defense only allowed two goals over the final 35:58.
 
KU led by just two with 6:48 to play (10-8), but scored the game's final four goals in the victory.
 
Sarah Gabriele (Felton, Pa./York Catholic) led the way for Kutztown with a six-point day – four goals and two assists. She netted a hat-trick against Gannon for the fourth consecutive year for her sixth multi-goal game of the season and 30th career hat-trick.
 
Destanee Watkins (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) posted her third hat-trick of the season and second in the last three games. She scored three goals Saturday, scoring on 3-of-4 shots with four groundball pickups.
 
Lauren Schmidt (Hanover, Pa./South Western) and Makayla Bowman (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) each scored twice to round out KU's top scorers. Schmidt also led KU in the field with five caused turnovers and four draw controls.
 
Amanda Lehman (York, Pa./West York Area) caused three turnovers as Emily Smith (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Hubert Catholic) added three draw controls.
 
Kutztown outshot Gannon, 32-22, including a seven-shot advantage in the first half. KU's 6-0 run carried through halftime, where KU led 7-6, and was capped at 9-6 early in the second half. The game went scoreless for more than 15:00 in the second half.
 
Freshman goalkeeper Haley Kline (Reading, Pa./Wilson West Lawn) made seven saves in the victory.
 
Gannon was led by a three-goal game by Micaela Capozzo. Kayla Shields and Erin Rotondo each scored twice, while goalkeeper Erin Renwick tallied 12 saves in the setback.
 
Kutztown returns home for a three-game homestand, beginning on Tuesday night, April 3, at 7 p.m. against Bloomsburg University at Andre Reed Stadium.