KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Lailah ElBouazzaoui (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) scored four of her game-high five goals in the second half as the 12th-ranked Kutztown University women's lacrosse team outscored 22nd-ranked New Haven 8-2 in the second half to pull away for a 13-7 victory Monday afternoon at Keystone Field.
 
With the victory, the Golden Bears improved to 5-0 for the second time in the last three seasons. Sam Graf (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) tallied four times and Olivia Eilbacher (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic) added three points on a goal and two helpers.
 
The first half proved to be tightly contested between the first-time opponents. Kutztown jumped out to a 3-1 lead midway through the first quarter on goals from ElBouazzaoui, Graf and Sophie Engelhardt (Hellertown, Pa./Saucon Valley).
 
New Haven (2-2) knotted the game at three on Katie Schenk's goal with 34 seconds remaining in the opening period and took its only lead of the game, 4-3, on a Summer Castiglione marker 86 seconds into the second.
 
Graf netted her second of the day a player up to even the score at four with 9:14 left in the half before Eilbacher put the Maroon and Gold back in front with a free-position goal less than three minutes later.
 
The Chargers would respond with a Schenk player-up goal to make it 5-5 at the break but it was all Kutztown from there.
 
ElBouazzaoui scored three times, while Graf, Madison Wenner (Marmora, N.J./Ocean City) and Lauren LaMorte (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) had one goal each during a 6-0 Golden Bear run that spanned all of the third quarter and the first 2:16 of the fourth. The spurt put KU in control, 11-5.
 
New Haven close with 11-7 with 7:38 to go but goals by Graf and ElBouazzaoui restored Kutztown's six goal advantage.
 
Monday's game was closely contested across the board. The Chargers held a 30-28 edge in shots, but KU put one more on goal (18-17). Turnovers were even at 15 apiece and the Bears picked up 18 ground balls to UNH's 16.
 
Marisa Bragg (Ringoes, N.J./Hunterdon Central) was big in goal for the hosts, stopping 10 shots. It was her second double-digit save performance of the season. Reigning PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week Summer Davis (Beach Haven, N.J./Southern Regional) caused a game-high three turnovers and collected three ground balls. Graf secured four draw controls, three ground balls and caused a pair of turnovers.
 
Schenk (three) and Castiglione (two) combined for five of New Haven's seven goals in defeat.
 
Kutztown will travel to Florida for a pair of games against ranked opponents later this week. The Bears will face No. 19 Flagler in St. Augustine Thursday at 6 p.m., before heading to No. 8 Saint Leo for an 11 a.m. showdown of top 10 ranked teams on Sunday.
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