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Mia Fiandaca and Britney Maldonado celebrate a goal against Aurora Feb. 28, 2024
© AshtinElder
22
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 3-2
13
Linfield LIN 1-3
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
3-2
22
Final
13
Linfield LIN
1-3
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 9 4 2 7 22
Linfield LIN 6 3 2 2 13

Game Recap: Women's Lacrosse |

Maldonado & Fiandaca Rewrite Record Book in Win Over Linfield

Maldonado sets points & assists record, Fiandaca breaks goals record

McMINNVILLE, Ore. - Record-setting nights from Britney Maldonado (Hoffman Estates, Ill.-James B. Conant) and junior Mia Fiandaca (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles North) paired with a strong start powered the Illinois Wesleyan University women's lacrosse team to a 22-13 win over Linfield University Tuesday night, March 12, in its second game of its spring break trip to the Pacific Northwest. IWU boosted its record to 3-2 on the season with the win, while Linfield dropped to 1-3.

Maldonado broke her own program record with a 17-point performance. Maldonado, the only Titan in program history to record double-digit points in a game, scored three goals and dished out a record-setting 14 assists to pace the Titan attack. Maldonado broke the single game points record which she previously set against Elmhurst April 24, 2023. Meanwhile, her assists total topped Sam Bidlack's program-leading mark of seven. Bidlack accomplished the feat twice, first at Benedictine March 4, 2017 and then again against North Central May 5, 2018. Maldonado's 14 assists are the most by a player across NCAA Division I, II, or III this season and are tied for second all-time in Division III history. Her 17 points is tied for third all-time in a single game in Division III history. 

Fiandaca racked up a team-high eight goals to break the program record, while also tallying an assist to finish with nine points. Junior Avery Setzler (Bloomington, Ill.-Bloomington) went for five goals, while sophomore Devon Hanson (Waukesha, Wis.-Waukesha West) posted a trio of goals. Sophomore Carleigh Fountain (Orland Park, Ill.-Carl Sandburg) tallied a hat trick to round out the goal scoring.

Elsewhere, junior Bri Kiser (Crown Point, Ind.-Crown Point) made seven saves in net. Fiandaca forced a team-best five turnovers and also led IWU with six ground balls. Hanson paced the Green and White with 11 draw controls, while sophomore Sadie Newton (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) added nine.

A win on the opening draw by Hanson got the Titans off and running right away, leading to a Fiandaca goal less than 20 seconds into the game. 

Fiandaca doubled the lead about a minute and a half later as she scooped up a rebound and ultimately buried a free-position goal at the 13-minute mark. The Titans' dominance continued with another win by Hanson on the draw as Fiandaca fed Fountain for the strike pushing the lead to 3-0. Fountain's goal came on the heels of a Linfield green card, as IWU capitalized on the man-up opportunity.

After freshman Bri Stiel (Peoria, Ill.-Dunlap) connected with Hanson for a goal, Maldonado dished out an assist to Fiandaca. The goal, Fiandaca's third of the day, extended Illinois Wesleyan's lead to 5-0 four minutes in.

The Green and White weathered a push from the Wildcats over the next few minutes, but Kiser and the Titan defense stood strong. Hanson turned the tide with a caused turnover and Fiandaca quickly moved the ball up field where Maldonado found Setzler for the goal with 7:31 left in the opening period.

Linfield cracked the scoreboard off the ensuing draw, which proved to be the start of a 5-2 run by the Wildcats. Maldonado broke up the run with a goal with 1:10 left in the first period, but Linfield scored once more to cut the Titan lead to three, 9-6, into the second quarter.

Fiandaca kicked off the scoring the second, burying a crafty shot into the back of the net four minutes into the period. Maldonado set up the score, working her way through traffic to find Fiandaca for the score.

Leading 10-6, a free-position shot by Maldonado boosted IWU's cushion to five, 11-6. 

The Wildcats clawed back again, pulling within three, but goals by Hanson and Fiandaca gave the Titans a 13-9 lead at the midpoint.

The third quarter was much quieter on the scoring front as the two teams combined for four goals in the 15-minute segment. Illinois Wesleyan carried a 15-11 lead into the final stanza.

Newton came through with a draw control to start the fourth, putting IWU on the attack right away. Gathering the ball behind goal, Maldonado found Hanson cutting hard towards the goal to lift the Green and White to a 16-11 advantage less than 30 seconds into the final stanza.

After a big save by Kiser and a successful clear, Fiandaca connected with Maldonado for a goal to extend the IWU cushion to six.

Linfield pulled within four with 8:23 to play, but the Green and White scored five times, all on assists from Maldonado, over the final eight minutes to run away victorious, 22-13. 

Illinois Wesleyan concludes its spring break trip with a game against the University of Puget Sound Thursday evening, March 14. Game time is set for 7 p.m. PT and will be played at Griswold Stadium on the campus of Lewis and Clark College.


 
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