LOS ANGELES, Calif.  - The Illinois Wesleyan University women's lacrosse team ended its spring break trip with a 24-16 loss at Occidental University Wednesday, March 16. The Titans (1-5) will head back to Bloomington for a game against Geroge Fox Monday, March 21 as Occidental (3-2) gets ready for an away match Saturday, March 19.

The Titans saw four different student-athletes score three or more goals, led by freshmen Mia Fiandaca (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles North) who put up a career-best five. 

Occidental opened the scoring with two goals within the first few minutes to jump ahead 2-0. Senior Landry Elliott (Milwaukee, Wis.-Nicolet) quickly responded, scoring IWU's first goal only 10 seconds after OU's latest goal to cut the deficit in half with 10:24 still remaining in the first quarter.

In a back and forth first quarter, Occidental net its third goal to widen the lead 3-1. Just 20 seconds later, junior Sarah Gleason (Park Ridge, Ill.-Maine South) picked up her first goal of the night to close the gap 3-2. In similar fashion, the Tigers scored only to be answered by Fiandaca, as OU still led 4-3. 

With two minutes to go in the first 15, IWU saw the deficit grow to three as the Tigers tallied two more goals, growing its lead 6-3 to end the quarter. 

IWU kicked off the second quarter by scoring three goals courtesy of Elliot, Gleason, and Fiandaca, respectively. All three Titans grabbed their second goal of the day to tie the game up at six, with 11:34 to go in the half. 

At the 10:55 mark, Occidental answered with three goals of their own, to take back the lead, 9-6. Almost a minute later, Elliott completed the hat trick to close the deficit back to two, 9-7. 

Gleason also picked up a hat trick after answering an OU goal to keep the deficit at two, 10-8 for the Tigers. 

Occidental packed on an additional five goals to the Titans one, credited to senior Casandra Jones (Elk Grove Village, Ill.-Conant), as the two teams headed into the locker room 15-9 in favor of the Tigers.

Fiandaca grabbed her third of the game to open the third quarter, but OU added four more goals until Jones registered her second of the night as the Tigers led 19-11 with 3:23 to go in the third. 

Jones' goal was answered by the Tigers widening the lead 20-11, but the Elk Grove, Ill. native also picked up the hat trick with around one minute left to go in the quarter. Occidental continued on the attack as they scored two more goals in the final minute of the period.

IWU entered the final 15 down 22-12, but won the quarter, 4-2, as sophomore Darby Moore (St. Louis, Mo.-Metro), Fiandaca, and Elliott packed on the goals in the Titans final attempt. Occidental added two of their own in the fourth but the deficit was too much for the Green and White as IWU heads back to Bloomington after a 24-16 loss. 

The Titans return home to Bloomington, Monday March 21 for a home game against George Fox University at 4 p.m. inside Tucci Stadium.