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Women's Lacrosse 2025 Senior Day
Kodiak Creative
4
Elmhurst ELMHURST 5-8, 0-5 CCIW
20
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 8-8, 3-2 CCIW
Elmhurst ELMHURST
5-8, 0-5 CCIW
4
Final
20
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
8-8, 3-2 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Elmhurst ELMHURST 0 2 2 0 4
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 7 5 5 3 20

Game Recap: Women's Lacrosse |

Women’s Lacrosse Blows by Bluejays on Senior Day

Fiandaca breaks single-season caused turnover record

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Kicking the day off by celebrating its four seniors, and finishing with the celebration of a broken record, the Illinois Wesleyan University women's lacrosse team downed Elmhurst University 20-4 in its regular season finale Saturday, April 26. The win boosts the Titans to 8-8 overall, and 3-2 in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin action, locking them into the No. 3 seed for next week's CCIW Tournament. Elmhurst completes its season with a 5-8 overall record, and an 0-5 CCIW mark. 

Illinois Wesleyan celebrated its four seniors, Mia Fiandaca (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles North), Avery Setzler (Bloomington, Ill.-Bloomington), Lizzie Rymarcsuk (Lake Zurich, Ill.-Saint Viator), and Mallory Mills (Schaumburg, Ill.-James B. Conant), as the quartet played their final game inside Tucci Stadium. 

Needing just two caused turnovers to break the single-season record of 50 set a season ago, Fiandaca made history, as she quickly downed the mark, and extended it to 57. She finished with a team-high eight caused turnovers in the contest, and now sits six off of the program's career record of 137, held by Dani Engelbreit. 

Leading the offense, Fiandaca tallied a team-high five points, all coming via goals. The trio of freshmen Maddie Gibson (Fenton, Mo.-Rockwood Summit) and Carly Bajusz (Naperville, Ill.-Naperville North), and junior Anelise DiGiovanni (Lockport, Ill.-Lockport Township) all added four points apiece. Gibson's came on an even split of two goals and a pair of assists, while Bajusz net her first collegiate hat trick to go along with a helper, and DiGiovanni also finished with a trio of goals alongside an assist. 

Junior Sadie Newton (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) posted a team-best eight draw controls, followed by four from Fiandaca. Junior Sarah Riepe (Aurora, Ill.-St. Francis) scooped up seven ground balls, establishing a new personal-best. Fiandaca and freshman Sophie Shore (St. Peters, Mo.-Francis Howell Central) added five apiece. 

In goal for the Green and White, Rymarcsuk locked in her eighth win of the season behind seven saves and two ground balls, logging all 60 minutes between the iron. 

Fiandaca got the Titans on the board first, as she drew a free-position after causing her first turnover of the contest. The senior net a free-position goal at the 13:13 mark in the first quarter. 

Elmhurst won the ensuing draw, and Fiandaca went to work at making history, as she put pressure on the EU attacker, forcing her to drop the ball, and scooped up the ground ball to complete her 51st caused turnover of the season. 

Another Bluejays turnover was scooped up by Shore this time, and she gained the ball in IWU scoring territory, easily notching a goal while everyone was trying to get back. Setzler made it 3-0 just under the 10-minute mark, as she spun around her defender to score.

The Titans were awarded the draw control to follow the goal, and quickly used it to their advantage, as Bajusz buried a pass from Gibson, making it 4-0 with 9:44 on the clock, forcing Elmhurst to call a timeout. 

DiGiovanni garnered a free-position, and made good use of it, making it 5-0 seconds later. Fiandaca won the draw following the score, and this time Newton drew the free-position. The junior upped the lead to six, as she net her 23rd goal of the season with 8:05 to play in the first quarter. 

After Elmhurst won the draw, the Bluejays were awarded a free-position, but Rymarcsuk stymied the scoring opportunity with a save. The period would remain scoreless until under a minute to go, as freshman Lillie Keeton (Bloomington, Ill.-Bloomington) buried a shot to close out the opening quarter 7-0 in favor of the home team. 

Elmhurst got on the board with a free-position to begin the second, but the Titans quickly answered. The Bluejays turned the ball over, and Shore scooped up another ground ball to get the offense going. Bajusz began her day with a goal, making it 8-1 with 10:22 remaining in the first half. 

Continuing her stellar day, Fiandaca drew another free-position, and found the back of the net again to extend IWU's advantage to 9-1 at the 7:38 mark. EU responded with a goal, but the Green and White would close the second period on a 3-0 scoring run. DiGiovanni began the run with a free-position goal, and Riepe won the following draw control. DiGiovanni quickly found Gibson for a score, and then Gibson dished one to Bajusz to complete the run. Rymarcsuk closed out the second quarter with two saves, on another free-position attempt, to send IWU into halftime up 12-2. 

Kicking off the second half, Fiandaca dove and knocked the ball out of EU's stick, got up and scooped the ground ball up to begin her offensive pursuit. Seconds later, the senior ricocheted one off the posts and in, making it 13-2. 

After a green card gave the Green and White a woman-up advantage, Gibson buried her shot, coming off a pass from Bajusz, to increase the Titans' lead to 14-2 with 10:34 remaining in the third quarter. 

EU scored next, but Illinois Wesleyan once again answered with three straight goals. Setzler found her fellow senior Fiandaca for a score, and Riepe scored on the next possession to up the home team's cushion to 12. Newton found freshman Chloe Heyl (Houston, Texas-Emery/Weiner) for a goal to close out the run, extending the lead to 17-3. Elmhurst net a goal at the buzzer to bring the score to 17-4 heading into the final period. 

A Riepe caused turnover paved the way for DiGiovanni to register her hat trick, kicking off the fourth quarter for the Titans. Wanting to get in on the fun, Mills net a goal, the sixth of the defender's career, to highlight her senior day, bringing the advantage to 19-4. Fiandaca closed out the scoring, as the Titans drained the final 2:37 of action following the goal, securing the 20-4 victory.

With the win, IWU eyes a rematch with Carthage College Wednesday night, April 30. Game time is to be announced, and will be updated on the women's lacrosse schedule on iwusports.com when known. 
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