MEQUON, Wis. – The Concordia Wisconsin women's lacrosse team is starting to find its groove—and the Scarlet Hawks were the latest to get squished. The Falcons secured their second-straight Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference victory with a 19-10 win over Illinois Tech, improving to 4-5 overall and 2-1 in league play.
Illinois Tech came out with the early juice, controlling possession and building a quick 3-0 lead. The Falcons answered with goals from junior Emily Robertson (Canton, Mich.) and senior Katelyn Cardinale (Mount Laurel, N.J.), but IIT had the last word in the opening quarter, taking a 5-2 lead.
Then came the turning point—and who else but Cardinale. The senior buried a free-position shot early in the second quarter for her 200th career goal (because of course she did). Even after Illinois Tech stretched its lead to 6-3, Concordia flipped the switch and never looked back.
Senior Claire Geidel (Seward, Neb.), Robertson and Cardinale rattled off three goals in three minutes to even things up, and the Falcons were just getting warmed up. Senior Makayla Spejcher (Green Bay, Wis.) gave CUW its first lead at 7-6, finishing a slick feed from Geidel in front of the cage. Junior Carolyn Bourgeault (Buffalo, N.Y.) added a late free-position tally to send the Falcons into halftime with an 8-6 edge—and all the momentum.
If there were any doubts left, Concordia erased them in the third quarter. Cardinale opened the half with back-to-back goals, and after a brief IIT answer, the Falcons went on another tear. Goals from Cardinale, Bourgeault, Spejcher and Robertson pushed the lead to 14-7 and had the Scarlet Hawks searching for answers.
Illinois Tech tried to make things interesting early in the fourth, cutting the deficit to 14-9, but the Falcons weren't in the mood for drama. Anna Washburn forced a clutch turnover, and Robertson cashed in on the other end with a free-position goal. Robertson struck again, sophomore Carlijn van der Bend (Voorburg, Netherlands) joined the scoring party, and CUW stretched the lead to 17-9.
The Scarlet Hawks managed one more goal, but Concordia had the final say—because why not finish with flair? Geidel and Cardinale each scored in the final minute to slam the door on a 19-10 win.
Junior Parks Cawthray (Oakville, Ontario) stood tall in net with 11 saves, while the Falcons owned the draw circle. Cardinale led the way with seven draw controls, Robertson added five, and the duo scooped up five ground balls apiece—doing a little bit of everything.
Junior Naomi Black (Ottawa, Ontario) led the defensive effort with three caused turnovers, helping keep the Scarlet Hawks grounded after their early buzz.
The Falcons continue their homestand on Saturday when they host Beloit—looking to keep the good vibes rolling and the opponents squished.
