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2026 Women's Lacrosse Seniors
Audrey Peterson
12
North Central (Ill.) NCC 2-7, 0-1
16
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 5-7, 1-0
North Central (Ill.) NCC
2-7, 0-1
12
Final
16
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
5-7, 1-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
North Central (Ill.) NCC 1 3 2 6 12
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 3 2 7 4 16

Game Recap: Women's Lacrosse |

Women’s Lacrosse Knocks Off North Central for Senior Day Win

Titans start CCIW play 1-0

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University women's lacrosse team held off a fourth-quarter comeback by North Central College Saturday afternoon, April 4, to secure a senior day win at Tucci Stadium. The Titans clipped the Cardinals 16-12 to run their record to 5-7 on the season, 1-0 in CCIW play. NCC stumbled to 2-7 with a 0-1 standing in league play.

Illinois Wesleyan honored fifth-year Bri Kiser (Crown Point, Ind.-Crown Point), seniors Anelise DiGiovanni (Lockport, Ill.-Lockport Township), Carleigh Fountain (Orland Park, Ill.-Carl Sandburg), Sarah Riepe (Aurora, Ill.-St. Francis), and Sadie Newton (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community), as well as junior Chloe Heyl (Houstin, Texas-Emery/Weiner), who is graduating early in December 2026 prior to the contest. 

Fittingly, DiGiovanni and Newton led the Titan attack with four goals apiece. DiGiovanni dished out an assist to finish with the team lead in points. Sophomore Lillie Keeton (Bloomington, Ill.-Bloomington) tacked on two scores with two dishes, while sophomore Sophie Shore (St. Peters, Mo.-Francis Howell Central) contributed three points on a pair of goals and a helper.

Sophomore Marli Brown (Kansas City, Mo.-Notre Dame de Sion) made 11 saves in net with Keeton and Riepe pacing the defensive effort in front of her. Both Keeton and Riepe collected three caused turnovers, while Brown scooped up a team-high seven ground balls. 

Keeton got the Green and White on the board first, as she drove around the crease before finding the back of the net for a goal at the 12:30 mark in the opening quarter. Newton extended the lead, using a free-position to her advantage, and Keeton found DiGiovanni as she was crashing towards the net for a goal, making it a 3-0 lead with 4:22 to play in the first. North Central net its first goal of the game, closing out the opening period, 3-1.

The Titans caused a turnover in their offensive zone, and made the Cardinals pay for the miscue. Shore fed Heyl for a wide open opportunity, pushing IWU ahead, 4-1. NCC came back with three straight scores to tie the game with 6:08 remaining in the half.

DiGiovanni ended the Cardinals scoring run, with a drive through the defense for a goal, breaking the stalemate with 1:27 to play in the second quarter. The goal gave the Green and White the lead heading into halftime. 

Illinois Wesleyan quickly cracked open the second half, beginning with DiGiovanni winning the opening draw. The senior kept the ball and took it all the way for a goal, putting the Titans up a pair, 6-4, less than 20 seconds into the period. The Cardinals clawed back to cut the gap in half, but once again DiGiovanni used a draw control to quickly set up the offense, as Shore buried a shot to push the lead back to two, 7-5. 

North Central made the most of an IWU turnover to cut back into the lead. After missing the first shot high, NCC found the back of the net to make it 7-6 with 6:11 to play in the third. The Titans controlled the rest of the period, going on a 5-0 run, including three goals in a minute span. Keeton sent a pass to Riepe to kick off the run. Shore won the ensuing draw, and Gibson got in on the scoring, finding the back of the net just 14 seconds later. Staying in control, Riepe won the draw, and Newton quickly made it a 10-6 lead with 4:52 to play in the third. 

Awarded a free-position in a woman-up opportunity, Shore expanded the lead to five at the 2:36 mark. Gifted the same opportunity, DiGiovanni closed out the dominant third period with a goal, doubling the Cardinals' score, 12-6.

North Central responded with a spurt of its own, cutting the gap to one with 6:46 left to play in the game. Back-to-back goals by the Green and White replenished the cushion, as DiGiovanni found Newton for a goal, and Fountain followed with a score of her own, making it a 14-11 lead at the 5:48 mark. 

Illinois Wesleyan closed out the game by never letting the visitors get any closer, going on to win, 16-12.

The Titans hit the road to Carroll University for a CCIW clash Saturday, April 11. Action is set to begin at 1 p.m. at Schneider Stadium.
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