Women's Lacrosse coaches embracing after defeating Carroll, 11-9, April 13, 2024

Kodiak Creative

Women’s Lacrosse Readies for Battle with Bluejays

Titans travel to Elmhurst for midweek CCIW contest

4/16/2024 2:00:00 PM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Coming off of a thrilling, 11-9, victory over Carroll University Saturday, April 13, the Illinois Wesleyan University women's lacrosse team looks to carry its momentum into its College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin contest at Elmhurst University Wednesday, April 17. The Titans (6-7, 1-2 CCIW) will meet the Bluejays (2-8, 0-3 CCIW) on Langhorst Field at 7 p.m.

Illinois Wesleyan enters the contest off the win over Carroll, marking the first time the Titans have defeated the Pioneers since 2019. Sophomore Devon Hanson (Waukesha, Wis.-Waukesha West), the reigning CCIW Defensive Player of the Week, was a key component on both sides of the ball for the Green and White. Totaling a career-high six goals, including the last three to lead the Titans to the win, Hanson added five caused turnovers, five draw controls, and three ground balls. Senior Britney Maldonado (Hoffman Estates, Ill.-James B. Conant) was an offensive threat for IWU, finishing with six points on one goal and five assists, and broke the program's single-season assist record during the contest. In goal for the Green and White, junior Lizzie Rymarcsuk (Lake Zurich, Ill.-Saint Viator) totaled 11 saves in her season debut, eclipsing the 200 career saves mark.

On a sensational senior campaign, Maldonado ranks third nationally in assists and assists per game, with 53 helpers on the season, an average of 4.08 per game. Her 87 points rank seventh nationally and are 10 shy of breaking the program's single-season point record, held by now-head coach Grainne Kelly, who scored 96 in the 2018 season. Maldonado ranks 14th nationally in points per game, averaging 6.69 per game. The senior leads the Green and White in goals, having scored 34 this season.

Second for the Titans in points is junior Mia Fiandaca (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles North) with 34, closely followed by Hanson's 33, and sophomore Carleigh Fountain (Orland Park, Ill.-Carl Sandburg) with 31. Fiandaca's 31 goals rank second on the squad, while Fountain is third with 28. Junior Avery Setzler (Bloomington, Ill.-Bloomington) is second on the team with 10 assists.

At the draw, Hanson has been dominant, having racked up 62 draw controls to lead the Titans. Fellow sophomore Sadie Newton (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) is second with 37, followed by Fiandaca with 33. Hanson also leads the Green and White with 39 ground balls. Junior Bri Kiser (Crown Point, Ind.-Crown Point) is second with 31 ground balls, while Setzler and sophomore Sarah Riepe (Aurora, Ill.-St. Francis) have each scooped up 28.

Defensively, the Titans rank fourth nationally in caused turnovers per game, averaging 16.38 forced miscues a contest. Leading the pack is Hanson with 37 caused turnovers, just five shy of the program's single-season record, set by Dani Engelbreit's 42 during the 2017 season. Fiandaca's 29 forced turnovers rank second on the team, and Riepe is third with 23.

Kiser leads the Green and White in goal, having made 103 saves in 660 minutes of action this season, holding a 5-6 record between the iron. Rymarcsuk is second with 11 saves in 60 minutes between the posts with a .550 save percentage and a 1-0 record.

The Titans and Bluejays will meet for the eighth time Wednesday, with IWU holding a commanding 6-1 advantage in the series, its only loss coming in the inaugural meeting April 22, 2015, falling 11-5. Illinois Wesleyan dominated the most recent matchup, winning 22-4 April 24, 2023. The contest saw Maldonado break the program's single-game point record at the time, as she totaled 11 points on five goals and six assists in the contest but has since rewritten her own record. Fiandaca finished with a game-high six goals, while Setzler added four points on one goal and three assists.

Illinois Wesleyan will see some familiar faces on the Bluejays sideline, as IWU alums Cassandra Jones and Claire Quist joined the EU staff as assistant coaches in the fall of 2023. Quist was a member of the program's first team in 2015, and played for the Titans from 2015 to 2018, earning First Team All-CCIW honors in 2017 and Second Team All-CCIW honors in 2016. Jones, a member of the women's lacrosse team from 2019 to 2022, earned First Team All-CCIW honors and Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Second Team All-Region honors in 2021, and was a second team all-conference selection in her senior season in 2022.

Elmhurst will provide a live stream of the game, which can be found here, while live stats can be accessed by clicking here.

Print Friendly Version