Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (Apr. 16, 2021) - A fierce comeback effort yielded the first College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) victory of the season for the North Central College women's lacrosse team on Friday, as the Cardinals emerged late to defeat Augustana College, 11-10, at Thorson-Lucken Field. 

North Central (2-3, 1-1 CCIW) outscored the Vikings, 3-1, over the final 8:10 and got the game-winning goal from senior Annabelle Steiner, who drove into the critical scoring area and fired the ball into the net while absorbing contact that sent her tumbling to the turf. Augustana had a final scoring opportunity in the game's waning seconds, but a sprawling save by goalkeeper Abigail Widd preserved the win. 

The game-winner capped off a career-best eight-goal performance by Steiner, who matched the third-highest single-game scoring total in the program's history. 

The Cardinals scored three of the game's first four goals to take an early lead after 14 minutes of play, but were limited to just two shots the rest of the first period as Augustana (5-6, 0-2) was able to carry a narrow 4-3 advantage into halftime. The Vikings' lead reached 6-3 early in the second period before the visitors got a goal from Reese McMullen and two more from Steiner in a four-minute stretch to knot the score at 6-6 with 19:31 left.

The game was tied twice more before Steiner's free-position shot gave the Cardinals a brief 10-9 advantage. Augustana's Margaret Cecilio scored to bring the game level once again at 10-10 with 4:13 to play, but the hosts managed just one shot attempt the rest of the way.

Widd finished with 10 saves, while Grace Steiner caused five turnovers. Cecilio finished with a game-high four goals for the Vikings.

North Central plays the first of three straight home games to close the regular season on Monday, hosting Carthage College. Play at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. Click HERE for links to live coverage. 

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