Dupage Policy Journal

Top-seeded Carroll University and Carthage College have advanced to the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Women’s Lacrosse Championship final, after winning their respective semifinal matches on Wednesday. The two teams will compete for the title Saturday at Carroll’s Schneider Stadium in Waukesha, Wisconsin, marking their first final encounter after meeting thrice in the last four seasons in tournament play.

In the semifinal, Carroll overcame a slow start to defeat North Central College 11-7. North Central initially led by a goal within the first 10 minutes. Carroll’s Abby Tubbs sparked a surge, scoring a goal at the 4:42 mark of the first quarter. This initiated a streak of five consecutive goals that secured Carroll a 7-3 lead by the end of the first quarter. Grace Brockman added to the score in the second quarter, allowing Carroll to lead 8-5 at halftime. North Central outscored Carroll 2-1 in the third period, narrowing Carroll’s lead to 9-7. However, Carroll held its ground defensively and added two more goals, including from Elizabeth Wang and Brockman, finalizing the score at 11-7. Wang was a key player, finishing with two goals and three assists. Brockman contributed three goals, while Grace Tumilty played a significant defensive role with seven ground balls and four caused turnovers. Lucy Culig was a standout performer for North Central with three goals.

Meanwhile, Carthage College earned a 16-4 victory over Illinois Wesleyan University. Piper LeFevre was a major contributor for Carthage, scoring four goals and assisting on three others. LeFevre’s performance was backed by six draw controls and five caused turnovers. Carthage’s offense was potent in the second quarter, scoring seven times and leading 10-2 at halftime. Emma McDonald started the scoring for Carthage, and Rosie Nolan led the team with five goals. Sydney Kuyava provided defensive support with four ground balls. Sadie Newton scored twice for Illinois Wesleyan, while Sarah Riepe added an assist and reinforced Illinois Wesleyan's draw control efforts.