Nina Deer Assistant Women's Lacrosse Coach | Illinois Wesleyan Titans Website
Nina Deer Assistant Women's Lacrosse Coach | Illinois Wesleyan Titans Website
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University women's lacrosse team experienced a setback as their four-game winning streak was halted by the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse on Saturday, March 23. The Titans were defeated 20-12 at Tucci Stadium, bringing their season record to 5-3 while the Eagles improved to 5-1.
Senior Britney Maldonado from Hoffman Estates led the Titans with four goals. Junior Avery Setzler added three goals, and junior Mia Fiandaca along with sophomore Devon Hanson each contributed two goals and an assist. Sophomore Sarah Riepe scored her first collegiate goal during the game.
In draw controls, Fiandaca achieved a team-high of eight, followed by Hanson's six and Sadie Newton's five. Hanson also collected a team-best four ground balls.
Defensively, Setzler set a personal record with five caused turnovers. Fiandaca and Hanson each had four caused turnovers, while Newton and Riepe recorded three each. Junior Bri Kiser made five saves over the course of the game for Illinois Wesleyan.
The Titans held advantages in shots (44-36), shots on goal (31-15), and draw controls (23-15). They committed 23 turnovers compared to UW-La Crosse's 29. However, UWL led in saves (17-5) and ground balls (34-31).
The game began positively for Illinois Wesleyan as Fiandaca won the opening draw leading to an early goal by Maldonado just 33 seconds into play. However, UWL quickly responded with five consecutive goals before IWU could counteract.
After trailing early in the game, head coach Grainne Kelly called a timeout which helped momentarily shift momentum back to IWU as they cut down UWL’s lead temporarily but couldn't sustain it throughout the match.
Despite efforts to close gaps during various points in play—including significant contributions from players like Setzler—the Titans ultimately fell short with a final scoreline showing defeat at 20-14.
Illinois Wesleyan will next face off against University of Wisconsin-River Falls on March 30 at Smith Stadium at Ramer Field starting at 1 p.m.
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