EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – A late three-goal run in the final 2 minutes and 30 seconds brought No. 13 Kutztown University within striking distance, but time ran out as the Golden Bears fell to No. 12 East Stroudsburg, 16–9, on Saturday afternoon at Whitenight Field.
Senior
Sam Graf (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills)—Kutztown's all-time leader in career points, goals, and draw controls—added another milestone to her remarkable list of achievements. Graf became the first Golden Bear in program history to eclipse 300 career draw controls, collecting a team-high five on the day.
After a delayed start due to snow on the field, the game began at 12:30 p.m., and it didn't take long for the scoring to begin. The Warriors (9–4, 6–2 PSAC East) struck less than a minute in, but the Bears (9–5, 6–3 PSAC East) quickly answered. Graf won the ensuing draw control and found the back of the net just over a minute into play, tying it at 1–1.
East Stroudsburg then scored six of the next seven goals, with
Alexis Plesic (Hanover, Pa./South Western) breaking the run for Kutztown with a rocket from the 8-meter mark. The Bears trailed 7–2 midway through the second quarter.
Lailah ElBouazzaoui (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) brought KU within four after receiving a pass from
Madison Wenner (Marmora, N.J./Ocean City) and spinning through the defense to score.
Olivia Eilbacher (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic) added another off a Graf assist, and ElBouazzaoui struck again—this time rolling the crease—to make it 8–5. The Warriors responded with two goals before halftime to push their lead to 10–5.
Wenner opened the second half with her lone goal of the day, cutting the deficit to four, but it would be Kutztown's only goal of the third quarter. East Stroudsburg controlled the next stretch, netting six consecutive goals—the final coming with 4:46 remaining in regulation.
Kutztown didn't go down quietly. In the final three minutes, the Bears played with urgency and energy, sparked by two draw controls from
Avery Hershey (Denver, Pa./Cocalico) and two clutch saves by goalie
Marisa Bragg (Ringoes, N.J./Hunterdon Central). Graf, Plesic, and ElBouazzaoui each found the back of the net during the late surge, bringing the final score to 16–9.
Throughout the matchup, the Bears applied steady offensive pressure, racking up 32 shots. Bragg was a force in net, recording a game-high 13 saves, while
Emma Taylor (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown) added one to bring KU's team total to 14.
Kutztown now turns its focus to another top-tier PSAC matchup, hosting No. 2 West Chester University at Keystone Field on Wednesday, April 16, at 4:00 p.m.
