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Flag Football celebrates a touchdown March 28, 2026
Kodiak Creative
0
Benedictine BENU 0-6
39
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 5-3
Benedictine BENU
0-6
0
Final
39
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
5-3
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
BENU Benedictine 0 0 0 0 0
IWU Ill. Wesleyan 18 0 14 7 39

Game Recap: Women's Flag Football |

Flag Football Sweeps Inaugural Home Contests

Titans blank BenU, 39–0, take down Illinois College, 26-13

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Playing its first-ever home games inside the historic Tucci Stadium, the Illinois Wesleyan University flag football team put on a show for its fans, bringing home two wins Saturday night, March 28. The Titans (6-3) blanked Benedictine University, 39-0, before defeating Illinois College, 26-13. 

Game One: Illinois Wesleyan 39, Benedictine 0
The Green and White offense dominated the Eagles (0-6) in the first contest of the night. Freshman Emma Caniglia (Addison, Ill.-Addison) threw for 205 yards and four touchdowns, going 19-for-29. Freshman Maylin Nunez (Chicago, Ill.-Taft) added 80 yards in the air after completing 8-of-11 passes. Caniglia tacked on 80 yards rushing  and one rushing TD, doing so on 12 attempts.

The Titans saw seven wide receivers catch at least a pair of passes, led by eight hauled in by freshman Deanna Cirebea (Barltett, Ill.-Bartlett). The rookie turned her eight catches into 103 receiving yards with two touchdowns. Freshmen Natalyia Stallings (Rockford, Ill.-Guilford) and Lily Greenfield (Lindenhurst, Ill.-Lakes Community) finished with four receptions apiece, going for 38 and 36 yards, respectively. Greenfield posted two receiving touchdowns in the process.

Illinois Wesleyan's defense was led by six flag pulls from Nakilah Mason (Chicago, Ill.-Chicago Military Academy). Freshmen Keilyn Navarro (Glendale Heights, Ill.-Conant) and Simone Dyer (Chicago, Ill. Whitney M. Young) added four flag pulls each. IWU also notched two interceptions, as Dyer and Stallings each picked off a pass. Freshman Layah Glover (Gurnee, Ill.-Round Lake) led the Green and White with two pass breakups. 

As a team, the Titans outpowered BenU in passing (245-24), using 10 first downs to the Eagles' three, along with a 75-49 advantage in rushing yards. Illinois Wesleyan was 3-of-12 on third-down attempts, and 2-of-7 in fourth-down tries, while Benedictine went 1-of-12 and 1-for-2, respectively. 

Caniglia found Cirebea for a 30-yard passing touchdown to get the Titans on the scoreboard first, needing just 3:30 on the opening drive to do so. Caniglia kept the ball herself, punching it in for the successful two-point attempt, putting IWU ahead, 8-0, to close out the opening quarter.

The Titan offense forced a punt by BenU, as the offense went out with possession in their favor to start the drive to begin the second period.

Continuing their connection, Caniglia sent a pass to Cirebea for a 17-yard score. The Titans converted the 2-point try on a pass to Glover, giving the home team a 16-0 lead with 3:08 left to play in the opening quarter. 

IWU scored once more in the quarter, as Cirebea snagged the BenU quarterback's flag in the endzone for a safety as time expired, pushing the Titans' lead to 18-0 entering halftime. Illinois Wesleyan would coast the rest of the way, taking the contest, 39-0. The shutout marked Illinois Wesleyan's first win at home and its third shutout of the season.

Illinois Wesleyan 26, Illinois College 13
The Titans completed their perfect day at home with a 26-13 defeat of Illinois College (2-2). Caniglia torched the Lady Blues for 202 passing yards, completing 29-of-47 attempts for two touchdowns. She also added 60 rushing yards and a TD. 

Stallings led the receiving room with nine catches for 78 yards. Glover turned six catches into 63 yards, followed by seven from Cirebea for 27 yards.

Mason was productive on the defensive end, finishing with 10 flag pulls, including three for a total loss of 33 yards. Stallings grabbed eight flags, while freshman Zoey Vasquez (Independence, Mo.-William Chrisman) finished with six. 

Following a scoreless first quarter, Caniglia found Nunez for a six-yard touchdown to put the home team in front, needing just 16 seconds in the second to do so. The Addison, Ill. native tacked one one more, as she hit Glover with a pass in the endzone to complete the one-point attempt, making it 7-0, IWU.

IC responded with a score of its own, as the game stood tied at 7-7 with 6:20 left to play in the opening half. 

Looking poised to go back out in front, the Green and White marched the ball from nearly endzone-to-endzone, beginning at its 14-yard line. Staring down a third-and-one, Caniglia connected with Stallings for a five-yard pass, moving the chains, and getting IWU a fresh set of downs. A complete pass to Glover put the Titans 11 yards out from the endzone. After an incomplete pass, Greenfield caught a pass from Caniglia at the six-yard line, setting up fourth-and-goal. The Lady Blues thwarted a rush by the Titan QB, stopping her at the four-yard line to force the turnover on downs, as IWU came away empty handed with a minute left to play in the second. The Titan defense forced a three-and-out, sending the game tied into halftime. 

Beginning the third quarter with the ball, the Titans quickly broke the stalemate. Caniglia opened the drive with a monstrous 20-yard pass to Stallings, and the two connected again on the ensuing play, this time for 12 yards. Caniglia hit Glover in the endzone for the touchdown, but a failed two-point attempt left the score at 13-7 with 13:38 to play in the third. 

Caniglia quickly made up for the missed PAT, as she intercepted the first pass of IC's drive, taking it to the house. It marks the second time she has done a house call on the Lady Blues, as her INT in their first meeting March 8 sealed the Titans' 27-19 win. A failed one-point attempt put the score at 19-7 with 13:27 to play in the third. 

The two teams traded defensive stops, leaving the score at 19-7 entering the final period.

The Titans began their first drive of the fourth quarter with two straight passes from Caniglia to Cirebea, moving the sticks nine yards. Facing a third-and-nine, Caniglia looked for Cirebea again, but the ball ricocheted off Cirebe's shoe and into the hands of Greenfield for a 17-yard completion and a fresh set of downs. The home team used it to add one more score, as Caniglia ran into the endzone for a 14-yard touchdown. Nunez caught a pass from Caniglia to complete the one-point try, making it 25-8 with 12:04 on the clock.

The score would lock in the game for the Titans, as they would go on to win, 26-13.

Illinois Wesleyan will head to Illinois College Saturday, April 4, for a date with the Lady Blues at 11 a.m.
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