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Canigila and Cirebea Celebration
Audrey Peterson
18
NORTHPAR NORTHPAR 1-9
24
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 10-5
NORTHPAR NORTHPAR
1-9
18
Final
24
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
10-5
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
NORTHPAR NORTHPAR 6 6 6 0 18
IWU Ill. Wesleyan 0 12 6 6 24

Game Recap: Women's Flag Football |

Flag Football Sweeps North Park to Close Inaugural Season

Titans go 11-5 in first year of competition

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University flag football team concluded its first season of competition with a sweep over North Park University Saturday afternoon, April 25, at Tucci Stadium. The Titans won game one by a 24-18 score before running away with a 26-6 victory in the finale. IWU ends with a record of 11-5 in its inaugural campaign while NPU slides to 1-9.

Game One: Illinois Wesleyan 24 North Park 18
North Park raced out to a 12-0 advantage with 8:45 until halftime. On the ensuing drive, a 37-yard third-down pass from freshman Emma Caniglia (Addison, Ill.-Addison Trail) to freshman Lily Greenfield (Lindenhurst, Ill.-Lakes Community) set up an eight-yard score to freshman Deanna Cirebea (Bartlett, Ill.-Bartlett). 

IWU forced a stop, returning possession to the Titans with 1:12 left in the second quarter. Needing to go the length of the field, Illinois Wesleyan engineered a six-play, 58-yard drive which ended on a 10-yard pitch and catch from Caniglia to freshman Maylin Nunez (Chicago, Ill.-Taft) with 12 seconds left in the half. The point after failed, resulting in a 12-12 tie at halftime.

In the third quarter, Illinois Wesleyan stopped North Park, setting up shop at their own 22-yard line. A lengthy completion from Caniglia to Stallings led to a nine-yard score from Caniglia to Stallings, which put the Titans ahead 18-12 with five minutes left in the third quarter. 

With the game tied after a North Park response, Caniglia was sacked, to give NPU the ball at midfield, but the IWU defense forced a stop. On the next drive, Caniglia connected on four completions of more than 10 yards, ending with a 27-yard strike to freshman Layah Glover (Gurnee, Ill.-Round Lake), vaulting the Titans ahead, 24-18, with three minutes left. The Vikings marched down to the IWU 27, but an interception from Glover foiled the NPU drive. The Vikings used their timeouts and took advantage of incompletions to earn one last chance with 1:07 remaining, but the IWU defense was once again up for the task. Illinois Wesleyan forced one last stop once the Vikings got to the IWU 36 to stall the drive and seal the win.

Caniglia completed 28-of-44 passes for four touchdowns. She also added 62 yards on the ground. Four separate Titans scored touchdowns, with Stallings leading the way off of 11 catches for 86 yards. Defensively, Glover had eight flag pulls to go along with one interception.

Game Two: Illinois Wesleyan 26 North Park 6
IWU stopped North Park on a turnover on downs to open game two. On its first offensive series, Caniglia found Glover to seal a five-play, 45-yard drive, making it 7-0 after Nunez connected on the one-point PAT. 

With one minute left in the opening quarter, the Vikings sliced the gap down to 7-6, but IWU replied on the next drive with a nine-play march of 66 yards, ending with a Caniglia pass to Cirebea to grow the lead to 13-6 at the end of the first quarter.

After a trading of possessions, freshman Zoey Vasquez (Independence, Mo.-William Chrisman) put IWU up 20-6 with a four-yard pick-six with five minutes left in the first half. 

Another Vikings punt set the Titans up near midfield with three minutes to go in the second quarter. Caniglia completed a 13-yard pass to Glover. On the next play, Caniglia and Stallings connected on a 28-yard touchdown, growing the lead to 26-6 with 1:52 remaining in the second quarter. Both defenses stood tall in the second half as the game ended with the 20-point margin.

Caniglia completed 28-of-48 passes for 240 yards with three touchdowns. Glover hauled in nine receptions for 81 yards with a score. On the defensive side, freshman Nakilah Mason (Chicago, Ill.-Chicago Military Academy) had four sacks. Freshmen Kennedy Murray (Evanston, Ill.-Evanston), Aishah Smith (Rockford, Ill.-Guilford), and Vasquez each had an interception each. 

The wins mark the end of the Titans' inaugural season, as the Green and White posted an 11-5 record in its first year of competition. IWU is set to return their entire roster in 2027. 
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