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BLOOMINGTON, IL - April 27 - NCAA Women's Lacrosse: Illinois Wesleyan vs Augustana (Photo by Jimmy Naprstek/Kodiak Creative)
Kodiak Creative
7
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 0-1, 0-0
10
Winner Aurora AURORA 1-0, 0-0
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
0-1, 0-0
7
Final
10
Aurora AURORA
1-0, 0-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 2 0 2 3 7
Aurora AURORA 1 5 1 3 10

Game Recap: Women's Lacrosse |

Women’s Lacrosse Falls in Season Opener

Titans travel to IIT Wednesday, Feb. 26

MONTGOMERY, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University women's lacrosse team began the 2025 season with a 10-7 loss at Aurora University Saturday, Feb. 22. The Titans slipped to 0-1 on the season as their comeback fell short, while the Spartans jumped to 1-0.

Senior Avery Setzler (Bloomington, Ill.-Bloomington) led the team with four points on three goals and an assist, while senior Mia Fiandaca (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles North) added two goals and four caused turnovers. Junior Sadie Newton (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) collected two points on one goal and one assist, and senior Lizzie Rymarcsuk (Lake Zurich, Ill.-Saint Viator) tallied 10 saves.

Illinois Wesleyan tallied 19 shots on the day, but Aurora fired off 27. The Titans finished 13-for-19 in clear attempts, with the Spartans going 19-for-25. IWU committed 24 turnovers, while causing 12, but AU turned the ball over just 15 times. The Titans finished with an 11-10 edge in draw control, with Newton securing a team-high seven. 

Aurora struck first, finding the back of the net off the opening draw, but Illinois Wesleyan responded right back. The Spartans won the ensuing reset, but Fiandaca forced a turnover to get the Titans off on the attack. Exactly one minute after AU kicked off the scoring, freshman Maddie Gibson (Fenton, Mo.-Rockwood Summit) net the first goal of her collegiate career and the first of the season for the Green and White to knot the score, 1-1, with 12:49 on the clock.

The 1-1 tie stood for more than 10 minutes before Fiandaca scooped up a ground ball on freshman Sophie Shore's (St. Peters, Mo.-Francis Howell Central) caused turnover with 1:47 to go in the opening quarter. Gaining possession, junior Carleigh Fountain (Orland Park, Ill.-Carl Sandburg) found Newton for the go-ahead goal as IWU took a 2-1 edge into the second period.

Rymarcsuk and the Titans held off an Aurora free position attempt, holding the Spartans without a shot attempt. IWU thwarted another free position moments later, this time with Rymarcsuk securing a save. The senior keeper followed with another stop at point-blank range to keep the Titans' 2-1 lead intact.

Aurora broke through with a pair of goals midway through the quarter to jump ahead, 3-2, before finishing off a five-goal run and taking a 6-2 advantage into halftime.

Illinois Wesleyan scored first in the second half as the Titan defense kept the Spartans at bay. Winning possession off a failed clear by Aurora, Newton fed Fiandaca to cut the deficit in half, 6-3, with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter. 

Newton once again sparked the Green and White, this time winning the draw and pushing the ball into the attacking zone, where Setzler earned a free position opportunity. Taking full advantage, Setzler buried her first goal of the season to pull IWU within two, 6-4, with 1:21 on the clock.

Aurora broke up the run with a goal less than a minute later to reclaim control, 7-4, into the final period.

The fourth quarter saw the Spartans extend their lead to as many as six, 10-4, with three goals over the first three minutes of the stanza. 

Back-to-back goals by the Titans cut the AU advantage to four, 10-6, as the Spartans called a timeout. With Aurora a player down due to a yellow card, Setzler assisted on a Fiandaca goal. Moments later, Newton won another draw and Setzler found the back of the net off junior Anelise DiGiovanni's (Lockport, Ill.-Lockport Township) helper.

Illinois Wesleyan won the draw out of Aurora's timeout, with Fountain gaining possession for the Green and White. After working the ball around a bit, Setzler flew around a screen and fired a shot past the AU keeper.

Defense tightened up on both sides over the final eight minutes as the Titans ultimately fell, 10-7.

Illinois Wesleyan travels to the south side of Chicago this Wednesday, Feb. 26, to take on Illinois Institute of Technology. Game time between the Titans and Scarlet Hawks is scheduled for 5 p.m.
 
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