CHICAGO – The Concordia Wisconsin women's lacrosse team cruised on Thursday night at Illinois Tech in a key Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference victory. The Falcons scored a season high 19 goals in the 19-6 victory that elevates the Blue and White to 3-6 and 2-1 in the NACC.
The Scarlet Hawks struck first on Thursday with a goal in the second minute.
Junior Katelyn Cardinale (Mount Laurel, N.J.) found the back of the net three minutes later with a low shot off a pass off a loose ball
The Falcons streaked down the field, and Katelyn Cardinale charged at the net and scored 28 seconds later off a pass from senior Ava Karlov (Naperville, Ill.).
A minute later, senior Kami McCardle (Jackson, Wis.) joined the scoring party after Ava Karlov found McCardle wide open in front of the net.
IIT scratched at the Concordia lead with a goal on a free-position shot. But Sophomore Carolyn Bourgeault (Buffalo, N.Y.) scored in front of the net off a pass from senior Natalie Mackrell (Florissant, Colo.)
Katelyn Cardinale tallied her third goal of the contest to close the first-quarter scoring with 3:48 left after she danced around a defender in the quarter off a Kam McCardle assist.
The second quarter was the Emily Robertson show when the sophomore from Canton, Michigan, scored the first two goals of the frame, including a woman-down goal from five yards out from Carolyn Bourgeault and the second on a free-position shot.
Freshman Gretchen Paaverud (Ramsey, Minn.) recorded her first collegiate goal with 8:59 left in the quarter after she stole the ball back and sprinted towards the net.
Emily Robertson netted her third goal of the quarter on a free-position shot.
A minute after the Robertson goal, Kami McCardle snuck the ball past the keeper with a low roller off a pass from Carolyn Bourgeault.
IIT scored the final two goals of the half to cut the Concordia lead to 10-4 at halftime.
Ava Karlov started the third quarter, scoring on her return to her homeland when she broke to her right past two defenders.
Kami McCardle capitalized on a Scarlet Hawk card with a woman-up goal as she broke to her right.
Katelyn Cardinale extended the lead to 13-4 with her fourth goal after she picked up a loose ball and scored.
Carolyn Bourgeault tossed the ball into the net after she charged the net unguarded after she broke past the last defender to activate the running clock.
Katelyn Cardinale scored one for the thumb on a spin move off another assist from Ava Karlov.
After Illinois Tech scored on a free-position shot, Carolyn Bourgeault got the last laugh of the third quarter off a pass from Emily Robertson.
Katelyn Cardinale scored the next two goals for the Falcons off of assists from Ava Karlov and Kami McCardle.
Freshman Sophia Whiteaker (Normal, Ill.) scored her first collegiate goal for the final goal of the game in the final minute off a pass from Katelyn Cardinale.
Katelyn Cardinale not only torched the Scarlet Hawks with seven goals and an assist. She broke the program record with 11 ground balls in the victory.
Kami McCardle also tied her career-best performance with five points and four caused turnovers.
Emily Robertson had a banner day with a career-best three goals, four points, six draw controls and four caused turnovers.
The four assists for Ava Karlov are a career high.
The 19 goals are the most since the 23-10 victory over Illinois Tech on Senior Day in 2024.
Sophomore Parks Cawthray (Oakville, Ontario) collected the third victory of the season in the net.
The Falcons look to extend their winning streak on Saturday at Beloit.
