McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University women's lacrosse team secured a decisive 21-3 victory against Augsburg University on Saturday, March 22. This win ends a three-game losing streak for IWU, bringing their season record to 4-4, while Augsburg's record falls to 0-2.

Junior Sadie Newton led the Titans' offense with eight points, scoring six goals and providing two assists. Senior Avery Setzler contributed four goals and an assist, totaling five points. Juniors Anelise DiGiovanni and Sarah Riepe each added three points to the team's score. Setzler and Newton also excelled in draw controls, with Setzler achieving nine and Newton eight.

Sophomore Bri Steil was notable in defense with four caused turnovers and four ground balls. Sophomore Chloe Heyl set new personal records with three ground balls and two caused turnovers.

In goal, senior Lizzie Rymarcsuk secured the win by making two saves while allowing two goals in the first half. Freshman Marli Brown finished the game as goalkeeper, making one save and allowing one goal.

Illinois Wesleyan dominated statistically with significant advantages in shots (43-10), shots on goal (33-5), draw controls (20-8), and ground balls (19-12). They forced 25 errors from Augsburg while committing only 12 themselves. The Titans were successful in 10 of their 13 clear attempts compared to Augsburg's 7-for-19 performance. Despite this, Augsburg led in saves with a total of 12 compared to IWU's three.

The Titans quickly took control of the game, scoring within the first minute after winning the opening draw. Junior Carleigh Fountain assisted Newton for the first goal just 15 seconds into play. Illinois Wesleyan maintained momentum throughout the match, extending their lead consistently.

Augsburg briefly narrowed the gap early on but could not maintain pressure against IWU's offense. By halftime, Illinois Wesleyan held a commanding lead of 13-2.

In the third period, IWU scored all five goals without response from Augsburg. The final period saw Illinois Wesleyan adding three more goals to close out at 21-3.

Looking ahead, Illinois Wesleyan will continue their road trip with a match against the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point scheduled for March 23 at 11 a.m.