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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - CCIW Tournament Championship
Kodiak Creative
1
North Central (IL) NCC (12-2-5, 4-0-4)
4
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU (10-4-3, 6-1-1)
North Central (IL) NCC
(12-2-5, 4-0-4)
1
Final
4
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
(10-4-3, 6-1-1)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
North Central (IL) NCC 0 1 1
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 2 2 4

Game Recap: Women's Soccer |

Women’s Soccer Claims CCIW Tournament Title in 4-1 Defeat Over Cardinals

Titans earn program’s fifth tournament championship

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University women's soccer team are your 2022 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament Champions after a 4-1 defeat over North Central College, Saturday, Nov. 5. The Titans' victory marks the fifth time in program history where IWU has claimed the tournament title, and just the second time IWU have been named both CCIW Regular Season and Tournament Champions. With the win, IWU moved to 10-4-3 as the Cardinals dropped 12-2-5 overall.

IWU was led by senior Lauren Shanks (Bloomington, Ill.-Central Catholic) who notched the game-winning goal and assisted on all other Green and White goals. Senior Caelyn Steffens (Normal, Ill.-Normal Community), and sophomores Liza Matimore (Gurnee, Ill.-Warren Township) and Audrey Hofstetter (Gilbert, Ariz.-Perry) joined Shanks in the scoring. Matimore and freshman Sawyer White (Downers Grove, Ill.-Montini Catholic) also earned a helper on the day. 

In goal, the Titans' goalkeeper Kayla Borg (McHenry, Ill.-Cary Grove) was back in between the posts who registered six saves, before senior Heather Dietrich (Geneseo, Ill.-Geneseo) stepped in to close out the game.  

Matimore got IWU started with the first goal of the match just 5:24 into the game. Shanks beat her defender at the halfway line with a shifty turn and sprinted down the wing to find Matimore on the cross. Matimore maneuvered her way in front of the Cardinal defender and got her foot on the ball to beat the NCC goalkeeper and give IWU a 1-0 early lead. 

The offensive duo wasn't done yet. With 27 minutes still to go in the first half, Matimore received a ball from a Titan throw-in and slid Shanks the ball on the run. A few powerful touches by Shanks got her in a dangerous position and placed the ball in the back of the Cardinal net. 

The Titans outshot the Cardinals 8-6 and 6-4 shots on goal to end the first 45 up, 2-0. 

Coming out of the half at the 48:40 mark, Shanks' shifty touches in the Cardinals defending third stunned two NCC defenders at the side of the 18-yard box. After beating her defenders, Shanks sent a ball to the back post where Steffens controlled the ball and placed it into the back of the net, and took a 3-0 advantage. 

Time was ticking down as NCC kept up the pressure. The Cardinals took an upper-90 shot from just outside the 18-yard box but was no match for Borg, as the McHenry, Ill. native pushed it up and out to keep IWU's slate clean. 

Around the 61:30 mark, the Titans earned a corner, one of 10 for IWU in the game. Shanks played it short to White, and with no hesitation, sent the ball into the six-yard box where Hofstetter sealed the deal and tapped it in NCC's net, earning her first career-goal as a Titan. 

Some stellar defending by the Titans kept NCC's late chances from causing too much damage. It wasn't until the 84:13 mark where the Cardinals were awarded a free kick outside the Titans' 18-yard box and kept from being shutout, as IWU still led, 4-1.  

After 90 minutes of play, the Titans kept its comfortable lead throughout the game and took home the CCIW Tournament Championship trophy after a 4-1 victory. 

IWU earned the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, starting next weekend Friday-Saturday, Nov 11-12. The Titans will wait to see where and who they will play with the NCAA Selection show scheduled for Monday, Nov. 7 at 2 p.m. ET.  
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