KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- Makayla Bowman (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) and Cyla Cafferata (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Sachem North) combined for four goals during a mid-second half spurt that helped the Kutztown University women's lacrosse team to a four-goal lead against Lock Haven on Saturday at Andre Reed Stadium. The Golden Bears navigated some tense moments late to hold on for a 14-12 victory.

Bowman scored a season-high five goals and was one of three KU players to record five points on the afternoon along with midfielders Lauren Schmidt (Hanover, Pa./South Western) (four goals, assist) and Emily Smith (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Hubert Catholic) (three goals, two assists).

Lock Haven, which dropped its first game to the Golden Bears in 10 tries last season, appeared intent on getting back in the win column early. Zoe Waddell took advantage of two opportunities in the opening 5:06 to put the Bald Eagles (1-7 PSAC, 3-10) in front.

Schmidt's first goal of the day came at the 21:43 mark and Smith netted her first just over three minutes later to tie it for the Maroon and Gold, but Lock Haven replied with four in a row to lead 6-2 with 10:22 left in the half.

Kutztown (5-4, 6-6) showed it could make a run, too. Schmidt scored three more goals before halftime and assisted on one Bowman's two tallies as the hosts clicked off five consecutive goals to take a 7-6 lead to the break.

Though the Golden Bears outshot The Haven 44-23 in the game, grabbed 22 ground balls to the visitors' 12 and were a perfect 18-of-18 on clears, the back-and-forth nature of Saturday's tilt continued until the final buzzer.

Luckily, for KU, a five-goal run encompassing nearly nine minutes in the second half was enough to deliver a third victory on its home field.

Smith, who went over the 20-goal mark in a season for the first time in her career, and Bowman scored back-to-back goals, before Cafferata added two. Bowman's fourth of the game, off a Destanee Watkins (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) feed, increased Kutztown's lead to 13-9 with 14:23 to go.

Lock Haven pulled within 14-12 with 7:14 left after two straight goals from Braxtin Reddinger, but Megan Vaughan (Prince Frederick, Md./Southern) stopped a Waddell free position and Schmidt caused a late turnover as the Bears eventually possessed the clock into expiration.

Cafferata aided KU's offensive performance with three points (two goals, assist) and Erin Vaughan Ware (Seaford, N.Y./MacArthur) had two assists. Schmidt and Shannon Darcy (Warwick, N.Y./John S. Burke Catholic) caused four turnovers apiece and Watkins had three.

Kutztown's five PSAC victories are already the second most in a season in program history. Jackie Stezzi's team can match the program record of six league wins (6-0 in 1984) with a win at Millersville on Tuesday at 4 p.m. The Golden Bears have three league games remaining, with road matchups against Millersville and Seton Hill this coming week looming large in the race for the final PSAC Championship spot.

Watkins played a strong all-around game with an assist, five ground balls, three caused turnovers and three draw controls. Smith had a team-high six draw controls and Schmidt four. Kutztown recorded a 100% success rate on clears for the first time since March 4, 2017, against Felician (7-of-7).

Lock Haven goalie Lauren Girardi kept the Bald Eagles in contention with a tremendous 17-save showing, including 10 in the second half. Three of Vaughan's four saves for KU also came in the second.