KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Sam Graf (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) scored in every quarter and totaled seven goals to lead the 13th-ranked Kutztown University women's lacrosse team to a dominant 18–6 win over Shepherd University on Wednesday afternoon at Keystone Field.
Graf recorded a game-high eight points, bringing her season total to 77—moving her into third all-time for single-season points in program history. She was one of seven different goal scorers for the Golden Bears (9–4, 6–2 PSAC East), with four players tallying four points or more.
Maddie Wagner (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) added four goals for a season high, while
Lauren LaMorte (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) and
Olivia Eilbacher (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic) each chipped in four points as well. Eilbacher dished out three assists, surpassing 60 career assists and moving into third all-time in program history.
Lailah ElBouazzaoui (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) contributed two goals, with
Sammy Ruwet (Swedesboro, N.J./Kingsway Regional) and
Gabriella Mina (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) each netting one.
After back-and-forth play in the midfield, the Bears struck first with Graf's goal at the 8:41 mark of the first quarter. She went on to score three of Kutztown's four goals in the opening period, helping the Bears jump out to a 4–1 lead. The second quarter was more competitive, with Kutztown outscoring Shepherd (4-8, 1-7 PSAC East) 3–2 to take a 7–3 lead into halftime.
The Golden Bears pulled away in the third quarter, opening with a goal from Eilbacher just 12 seconds in—the first of eight unanswered goals. Kutztown's defense locked down, holding the Rams to just two shots on goal and no goals in the frame.
Overall, Kutztown's defense limited Shepherd to six goals—just one in the first and none in the third.
Marisa Bragg (Ringoes, N.J./Hunterdon Central) anchored the unit with five saves. The Bears forced 17 turnovers—Graf led the way with five, followed by
Summer Davis (Beach Haven, N.J./Southern Regional) with three—and collected 22 ground balls, with
Madison Wenner (Marmora, N.J./Ocean City) securing a game-high four.
The win marks Kutztown's third straight and ninth of the season. It also represents a major career milestone for head coach
Kristen Nicholson, who earned her 100th career win. Nicholson previously tallied 59 wins across stints at Moravian and FDU-Florham and now has 41 wins at Kutztown.
The No. 13 Golden Bears will look to carry their momentum into another PSAC East showdown, traveling to face No. 12 East Stroudsburg on Saturday, April 12. Game time is set for 12:00 p.m.
