KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The No. 15 Kutztown women's lacrosse team kicks off the 2025 season with high expectations, aiming to build on the momentum of a historic 2024 campaign that saw them reach new heights and make program-shaping strides. The Golden Bears open their season on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at Shepherd, with the first draw scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Ram Stadium.
The 2024 season was a defining one for Kutztown, as head coach Kristen Nicholson and assistant coach Tiffany Anderson guided the team to a program-best 15 wins. The Golden Bears made back-to-back PSAC Championship Tournament appearances, reaching the title game for the first time since 1984. They battled past Seton Hill in the semifinals with a 13-10 victory before pushing top-seeded West Chester to the limit in a 12-11 championship loss—the closest margin against the Golden Rams in program history.
Kutztown matched its best-ever PSAC record at 9-3, securing a second consecutive NCAA Division II Championship tournament berth and earning the No. 2 seed in the Atlantic Region. Despite a tough first-round battle against No. 3 East Stroudsburg, the Golden Bears closed the year ranked No. 12 in the final IWLCA poll.
The 2025 roster features three USA Lacrosse Preseason All-America selections:
Sam Graf (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills),
Lailah ElBouazzaoui (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan), and
Summer Davis (Beach Haven, N.J./Southern Regional), with Graf named Preseason Midfielder of the Year. The trio made their mark in the PSAC last season, with Graf securing First Team recognition and ElBouazzaoui and Davis landing on the Second Team. All three were also named to the IWLCA All-Atlantic Region teams, contributing to KU's program-record six selections.
Kutztown returns several players, including
Brynn Axe (Landisville, Pa./Hempfield),
Rowan Hall (Sloatsburg, N.Y./Suffern), and
Lauren Lamorte (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip), who played in all 21 games last season.
Kayla Brooks (Mountville, Pa./Hempfield),
Emily Christiansen (Ledgewood, N.J./Roxbury),
Olivia Eilbacher (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic),
Alexis Plesic (Hanover, Pa./South Western), and
Madison Wenner (Marmora, N.J./Ocean City) appeared in 20, while
Maddie Wagner (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) and
Katie Yocum (Hanover, Pa./South Western) played in at least 17 contests. In goal, junior
Marisa Bragg (Ringoes, N.J./Hunterdon Central) and graduate transfer
Emma Taylor (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown) will anchor the defense.
Several program records could fall early in the season. Graf, the all-time points leader with 233, is one goal away from breaking the career goals record (176). ElBouazzaoui, with 175 career points and 148 goals, is also chasing history. Eilbacher, currently sixth in career assists (44), is within reach of the top five, while Graf (58 assists) ranks second all-time. Graf and ElBouazzaoui lead the draw controls leaderboard, with Graf holding the top spot (241) and ElBouazzaoui ninth (110). Graf and Davis are also closing in on milestones for caused turnovers.
The Golden Bears' schedule features several ranked opponents, starting with their home opener against No. 17 Bentley on Friday, Feb. 28, at Keystone Field. A week later, they'll host No. 16 New Haven. Road challenges include trips to No. 14 Flagler and No. 9 Saint Leo, while PSAC play will see Kutztown take on No. 8 East Stroudsburg and No. 4 West Chester.
