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

Apr. 13, 2024 - Securing its sixth straight home victory with ease, the North Central College women's lacrosse team celebrated Senior Day Saturday with a 16-3 rout of College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) rival Elmhurst University at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.

The Cardinals (7-3, 2-0 CCIW) secured their fifth straight win overall, tallying 12 of the game's first 13 goals and thoroughly dominating the battle for possession.

A quick shot off a ground-ball pickup by Lucy Culig gave North Central the first goal of the day with 10:54 on the clock in the first period, and Rachel Lawrence, Annelise Oster and Abby MacKenzie tacked on goals before the Bluejays (2-8, 0-3) got on the board with Gracie Eastman's goal with 31 seconds left in the opening quarter.

Lawrence and Culig each scored again in the second before Oster scored twice in a one-minute span late in the period, sending the game into halftime with the score resting at 8-1 in the hosts' favor. Reese McMullen, MacKenzie and Lawrence found the net in the third to boost the lead to 11-1, and Oster ended the period with a goal to provide a 12-1 Cardinal advantage heading into the fourth quarter.

MacKenzie added another goal, McMullen scored twice, and Oster closed the contest with a game-high fifth score. The Cardinals held a 35-12 advantage in shots on goal and a 15-6 edge in draw controls, inducing 25 Elmhurst turnovers.

MacKenzie, McMullen and Lawrence each finished with three goals while Taylor Smith recorded two assists. Tori Leonard totaled six ground balls and MacKenzie finished with five draw controls while Cassidy Anderson saved nine shots on goal.

The Cardinals travel to face the University of Chicago (6-4, 2-0) Wednesday. The Maroons have won or shared the last three CCIW championships. Competition at Stagg Field is set to get under way at 5:00 p.m. Click HERE for the full 2024 schedule and live coverage options.

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