KUTZTOWN, Pa. – No. 15 Kutztown University women's lacrosse secured its first ranked win of the season in dominant fashion, defeating No. 17 Bentley 16-11 in the Golden Bears' home opener Friday afternoon at Keystone Field. Kutztown improved to 2-0 on the season, fueled by
Lailah ElBouazzaoui's (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) six-goal performance and two critical five-goal runs.
ElBouazzaoui scored her six goals efficiently on just seven shots. She found the net in each quarter and has now accumulated nine goals through the first two games of the season.
Sam Graf (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) contributed a hat trick and two assists while winning seven draw controls, accounting for half of Kutztown's 14 draw controls on the day.
Bentley (1-1) struck first, breaking the scoreless tie five minutes in. Kutztown (2-0) wasted no time responding as
Madison Wenner (Marmora, N.J./Ocean City) netted her first goal of the season just 20 seconds later, igniting a five-goal run. The offensive surge continued with goals from
Alexis Plesic (Hanover, Pa./South Western), Graf, and two from ElBouazzaoui, giving the Golden Bears a commanding 5-1 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter featured a back-and-forth battle, with both teams tallying five times.
Sophie Engelhardt (Hellertown, Pa./Saucon Valley) and ElBouazzaoui extended Kutztown's lead before Bentley answered with two goals, cutting the deficit to 7-6. With just over three minutes remaining in the half, Graf took over, scoring twice in an 11-second span—first on an unassisted effort and then immediately following her own draw control. ElBouazzaoui capped the half with her fourth goal off a feed from Plesic, sending Kutztown into the break with a 10-6 advantage.
The late second quarter momentum carried over into the third with two quick goals from the Maroon and Gold to cap another five-goal run.
Maddie Wagner (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) and
Lauren Lamorte (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) scored their first goals of the game to open the period. Kutztown outscored Bentley 3-2 in the quarter to extend its lead to five, 13-8, entering the final 15 minutes.
The fourth quarter remained competitive, with both teams scoring three times. Lamorte and ElBouazzaoui added to their goal totals, while
Olivia Eilbacher (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic) finished the scoring with 31 seconds remaining. Eilbacher, who recorded four points in the game, moved into a tie for fifth on Kutztown's career assists list with her 47th.
The Golden Bear defense stood firm, limiting Bentley to 11 goals on 33 shots. Goalie
Marisa Bragg (Ringoes, N.J./Hunterdon Central) made 14 saves and posted a .560 save percentage to secure the win. She turned aside a number of dangerous chances from the Falcons. KU held a slight edge in ground balls (15-13), with
Summer Davis (Beach Haven, N.J./Southern Regional) collecting a team-high three, while Wenner and Graf each added two. Davis and Graf also led the defensive effort with three caused turnovers apiece.
Kutztown returns to Keystone Field on Monday, March 3, to take on PSAC East foe Bloomsburg at 2 p.m.
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