SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – Kutztown University women's lacrosse had five different players score at least two goals, led by a game-high five from Olivia Eilbacher (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic), as KU dropped its season finale at Shepherd University 20-17 Saturday afternoon in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Divisional game.
 
Emma Meakim (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland), Sam Graf (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) and Lailah ElBouazzaoui (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) all finished with hat tricks and Shannon Lake (Medford, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) tallied two goals for the Golden Bears (4-13 overall, 1-11 PSAC). Kayla Brooks (Mountville, Pa./Hempfield) rounded out the scoring for the Maroon and Gold with a goal.
 
The two teams were back-and-forth for the opening 11:05 of the game. The Rams scored the game's opening goal 0:47 in, but Kutztown answered and held three different, first quarter leads of 2-1, 3-2 and 4-3, before Shepherd scored five unanswered to take an 8-4 lead. But KU responded with a four-goal run of its own to end the half tied 8-8 at halftime.
 
The Maroon and Gold started the third quarter by netting three of the first four goals and held three separate two-goal leads and headed to the fourth quarter ahead 13-11. But the Rams began the fourth on a 4-0 spurt to go ahead by two. After Graf's goal with 10:44 remaining cut the deficit to just one, Shepherd scored five consecutive goals to go up 20-14 with 5:38 to go. Eilbacher, Meakim and ElBouazzaoui scored three straight in the final few minutes, but ran out of time in their comeback effort.
 
Robin Spector (Northfield, N.J./Mainland Regional) collected a team-high six ground balls. Graf and Cyrose Conteh (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) both won three draw controls. Graf, Brooke-Lynn Grim (Abbottstown, Pa./New Oxford) and Sydnie Bisesi (Denton, Md./North Caroline) each had a caused turnover in the game. Jenna Blesson (Sparta, N.J./Lenape Valley Regional) finished with 10 saves and Fiona Henderson (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) had two for KU.
 
Kutztown concludes its 2022 season but did not graduate any seniors on the current roster. KU will return the majority of its players for a deeper run next season.

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