MILLERSVILLE, Pa. -- For the first time since relaunching the program in 2008, Kutztown University women's lacrosse is headed to the postseason. The Golden Bears withstood a push from host Millersville in the second quarter to earn a 17-11 victory at Biemesderfer Stadium Saturday afternoon and clinch a spot in the PSAC Tournament.
 
Sam Graf (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) and Shannon Lake (Medford, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) had five goals apiece, Emma Meakim (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland) added to her program single-season points record with five more and the Bears pulled away with a dominant fourth quarter to win for the 11th time this season. The 11 victories stand alone as the second most in a season in program history, two shy of the record 13 set in 1982 when Kutztown won its only PSAC title to date.
 
Quick starts on the road haven't been the forte of this talented KU squad, but such was not the case against the Marauders. Katie Yocum (Hanover, Pa./South Western) netted her 20th goal of the season 1:35 into the game and Lake was successful on a free-position attempt just over a minute later for a 2-0 Golden Bear lead.
 
Millersville (8-7, 5-5 PSAC East) responded with two goals in 57 seconds, tying the game on an Ella Linthicum goal at 9:01. Kutztown found back-to-back goals separated by just 18 seconds when Meakim set up Lailah ElBouazzaoui (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) at 6:23 and Shannon Lake (Medford, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) at 6:05 to restore the visitors' two-goal lead.
 
The Marauders began the second on a tear, getting four unanswered goals from four different scorers to go in front 6-4 with 8:40 remaining in the first half. Kutztown (11-3, 8-2 PSAC) righted the ship before the quarter was through, however, scoring the final three goals to take a 7-6 lead at the break.
 
With Meakim off for a yellow card, Graf and Cyrose Conteh (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) (free-position) scored player-down goals. For Graf, the goal at 4:08 was her 40th of the season, giving her two 40-goal seasons to start her Kutztown career. Olivia Eilbacher (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic) assisted on that goal, as well as another Graf marker at 1:29 that put KU back in front, 7-6.
 
Millersville evened the score on an Ashlyn Simonetti goal less than two minutes into the third quarter, but Kristen Nicholson's team found a way to stay a step or two ahead of the Marauders the rest of the way.
 
Kayla Brooks (Mountville, Pa./Hempfield) converted a free-position attempt and Graf completed her ninth hat trick of the season to put the Bears up 9-7. Lake was next to register a hat trick, doing so on her 30th goal of the year at 6:34 to make it 10-8 KU.
 
Morgan Hurd (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) capped the third-quarter scoring for Kutztown with a minute to go, sending her team to the fourth with an 11-9 advantage.
 
The Golden Bears struck early and often in the fourth to put the game out of reach. Conteh won three draw controls, leading to a pair of goals for Lake and another for Graf in the opening three minutes. Brynn Axe (Landisville, Pa./Hempfield) also scored during that span and another Graf tally at 10:48 concluded a 5-0 spurt to start the quarter –and string of six unanswered goals going back to Hurd's third-quarter goal— that increased KU's lead to 16-9.
 
Kutztown outshot its opponent for the 12th time in 14 games this season, firing 35 times to Millersville's 22. The Bears were almost perfect on clears, going 12-of-13 and snagged 22 ground balls to the Marauders' 13, led by four each from goalie Jenna Blesson (Sparta, N.J./Lenape Valley Regional) and Summer Davis (Beach Haven, N.J./Southern Regional).
 
With a team-leading six draw controls, Conteh moved from a tie for seventh into sole possession of fourth all-time at KU with 125 in her career. Graf added five draws, increasing her single-season record to 94 and career total to 133, third most in team history. The sophomore midfielder also moved into fifth among KU's single-season goal leaders with 44.
 
Blesson made seven saves and has been the goalie of record in all 11 Kutztown wins this season.
 
Simonetti had a hat trick and Rachel Keeney posted two goals and a game-high 10 draw controls for the Marauders. Millersville goalie Morgan Scott stopped 11 shots in defeat.
 
Kutztown heads into the final week of the regular season with two tough tests against the teams from the PSAC East that it will join in the postseason. The Golden Bears travel to No. 1 West Chester Wednesday, April 26, at 4 p.m., before hosting nationally ranked East Stroudsburg next Saturday, April 29, at 1 p.m.
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