Carolyn Meyer celebrating after defeating Carroll April 13, 2024

Kodiak Creative

Women’s Lacrosse Embarks on Final Road Trip to North Central

Both teams enter contest 2-2 in CCIW action

4/23/2024 3:00:00 PM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - A key College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin game is on deck for the Illinois Wesleyan University women's lacrosse team, as the Titans travel to North Central College Wednesday, April 24. Action is set to begin at 7 p.m. inside Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.

The Titans (7-7, 2-2 CCIW) enter the contest off a 16-6 win over Elmhurst University Wednesday night, April 17. The win saw senior Britney Maldonado (Hoffman Estates, Ill.-James B. Conant) and sophomore Devon Hanson (Waukesha, Wis.-Waukesha West) rewrite the program's record book. Maldonado finished with 10 points to break the single-season points record, set by current head coach Grainne Kelly's 96 points in 2018, as her final point in the game marked her 97th of the season. Hanson took down the single-season caused turnovers record, previously held by Dani Engelbreit with 42 in 2018, as her six caused turnovers in the game upped her season total to 43.

Offensively, Maldonado leads the Titans in a slew of categories. She ranks third nationally in assists (60) and assists per game (4.29), with her 97 points this season seventh across the nation, while her 6.93 points per game ranks eighth. Sophomore Carleigh Fountain (Orland Park, Ill.-Carl Sandburg) is second on the team with 37 points, coming from 31 goals and six assists, followed by junior Mia Fiandaca (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles North) with 34 points.

Hanson leads the Green and White at the draw this season, as she enters Wednesday's contest with 67. Fellow sophomore Sadie Newton (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) is second with 43, while Fiandaca sits third with 33. Hanson also holds a team-high 44 ground balls. Junior Avery Setzler (Bloomington, Ill.-Bloomington) and sophomore Sarah Riepe (Aurora, Ill.-St. Francis) have each scooped up 33 ground balls, good for second most on the team.

Entering Wednesday, the Titan defense has caused 236 turnovers, the most in a season in program history, and the team's average of 16.86 caused turnovers per game is the second-highest nationally. Leading the way, Hanson leads the CCIW in caused turnovers with 43 on the season, while her 3.07 caused turnovers per game average ranks 14th nationally. Fiandaca's 29 forced miscues is second, closely followed by Riepe with 27.

In goal for the Green and White, junior Bri Kiser (Crown Point, Ind.-Crown Point) leads the team with 103 saves in 660 minutes of action. Fellow junior Lizzie Rymarcsuk (Lake Zurich, Ill.-Saint Viator) has logged the last 120 minutes between the iron, and has collected 15 saves on an even .500 save percentage to go along with a 2-0 record.

IWU and North Central have faced off 10 times prior to Wednesday. The Titans hold a 9-1 advantage in the series,with the only loss coming in Illinois Wesleyan's inaugural season in 2015. Most recently, IWU defeated NCC 18-8 April 12, 2023. The game saw Fiandaca, Fountain, and Maldonado each finish with six points. Fiandaca also posted team-highs of nine draw controls and four caused turnovers, while Rymarcsuk notched the win after making eight saves in 30 minutes of action. North Central enters the contest off an 18-6 loss to Carthage College Saturday, April 20.

The Cardinals will be live streaming the game, which can be found here, while live stats can be followed by clicking here.

Print Friendly Version