McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University women's lacrosse team secured a victory over Lake Forest College with an 11-8 win at Tucci Stadium. This result marks the Titans' third consecutive win, improving their season record to 3-1, while the Foresters fell to 0-2.

Carleigh Fountain led the charge for Illinois Wesleyan, contributing three goals and an assist. Avery Setzler also made significant contributions with two goals and an assist. Other notable performances included Mia Fiandaca and Carly Bajusz, each scoring two goals, while Anelise DiGiovanni provided two assists.

Brooke Ayres was credited with four caused turnovers for the Titans. Setzler led in ground balls with six, followed by Fiandaca who had five. In draw controls, Sadie Newton contributed three, while both Fiandaca and Setzler added two each.

Goalkeeper Lizzie Rymarcsuk earned her third win of the season with six saves over 60 minutes of play. Despite Lake Forest having a slight edge in shots at 22-20, Illinois Wesleyan's defense held firm.

The Titans were effective on free position opportunities, converting six out of seven attempts compared to Lake Forest's one out of three. The game saw IWU succeed in 12 out of 19 clear attempts while LFC managed eight out of 22.

Mallory Mills caused a turnover early in the game which allowed Prissilla Tucker to gain possession and set up Fountain for IWU's first goal. Although Lake Forest initially took a lead after scoring twice quickly, Illinois Wesleyan responded effectively throughout the match.

In subsequent quarters, Bajusz scored off a free position shot before assisting on another goal by Maddie Gibson after a failed clear attempt by LFC. As time progressed into the second half, Fountain and Chloe Heyl extended IWU's lead further despite efforts from Lake Forest to close the gap.

Illinois Wesleyan maintained control through strategic plays including a backhanded shot from Setzler that sealed their victory just before full-time.

Looking ahead, Illinois Wesleyan will conclude its homestand against University of Wisconsin-La Crosse on March 5 at Tucci Stadium as part of a doubleheader event featuring both men's and women's teams.