NAPERVILLE — The opening two weeks of the 2026 women’s lacrosse season have produced three undefeated starts and multiple high-scoring performances across the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW). 
 
Augustana, Carroll and Carthage have combined to go 7-0 in non-conference play, while Illinois Wesleyan is 2-1 following three home contests. The upcoming slate includes the season debut for North Central and additional regional matchups for several conference teams.
 
Regional Tests and Early Season Statements
CCIW teams played 10 non-conference contests during the previous week. Augustana moved to 3-0 with two wins. Last Saturday, the Vikings defeated Culver-Stockton 9-6 behind Madison Langewisch, who totaled four goals on six shots and added four ground balls. Augustana followed with an 11-10 win over Cornell on Tuesday, recording 15 caused turnovers and 36 ground balls in the victory.
 
Carthage also remained unbeaten with two road wins. On Feb. 14, the Firebirds earned a 14-10 victory at Calvin as Xochitl Delvale-Vera posted 16 draw controls and 10 saves. Carthage continued last Saturday with a 10-7 win at DePauw, led by Piper LeFevre’s four goals on six total shots.
 
Carroll opened its season with two home wins at Schneider Stadium. The Pioneers defeated Edgewood 12-4 last Saturday, with Devon Duym earning the win after making six saves on 11 shots on goal. Carroll improved to 2-0 on Wednesday with a 16-2 win over Marian, outshooting its opponent 29-5 and winning 12 draw controls.
 
Illinois Wesleyan has played three games, starting with a 15-12 win over Illinois Tech last Saturday. Lillie Keeton led the Titans with five goals and five ground balls. Illinois Wesleyan followed with a 20-10 win over Augsburg last Sunday as Anelise DiGiovanni recorded 10 points on three goals and seven assists. The Titans suffered their first loss on Wednesday, falling 14-9 to Aurora despite a 15-save effort from Marli Brown.
 
Elmhurst opened its season with two losses, falling 23-0 to Kalamazoo on Feb. 17 and 6-5 to Marian last Saturday. In the one-goal loss to Marian, Grace Lorkiewicz contributed one goal and five draw controls.
 
Statistical Leaders Shine in Opening Contests
Several student-athletes produced notable statistical lines in the early non-conference schedule. Anelise DiGiovanni recorded a career-high 10 points in Illinois Wesleyan’s 20-10 win over Augsburg last Sunday, totaling three goals, a career-best seven assists, three ground balls, and one caused turnover … In the same game, Sadie Newton posted four goals, eight draw controls, eight ground balls, and four caused turnovers. The results contributed to Illinois Wesleyan opening 2-0 for the first time since 2019.
 
For Carroll, Sierra Skack recorded six points in the Pioneers’ 16-2 win over Marian on Wednesday, totaling one goal and five assists, while Carroll converted two free-position opportunities in the contest … For Augustana, Madison Langewisch contributed a multi-category line in the Vikings’ 9-6 win over Culver-Stockton last Saturday, totaling four goals, four ground balls, four draw controls and three caused turnovers … For Carthage, Rosie Nolan scored five goals on nine shots on goal in the Firebirds’ 14-10 win over Calvin on Feb. 14, helping Carthage to a 31-26 advantage in shots.
 
Conference Figures Climb the National Leaderboards
Early season statistics place multiple CCIW teams and individuals among NCAA Division III leaders. Illinois Wesleyan currently ranks sixth nationally in caused turnovers per game (20.3), while Augustana is second in ground balls per game (36.6) … Carroll is listed sixth in scoring defense, allowing 3.0 goals per game through two contests, and is 12th nationally in clearing percentage (.919).
 
Individually, Illinois Wesleyan’s Anelise DiGiovanni ranks second nationally in total assists (10). Sadie Newton is 14th in caused turnovers per game (4.00), while Sophie Shore is tied for seventh in total assists (eight) … Carroll’s Grace Tumilty is 10th nationally in caused turnovers per game (4.50) … Carthage’s Rosie Nolan is ninth in goals per game (3.50) … In goal, Carroll’s Devon Duym ranks fourth nationally in goals-against average (3.00) and 21st in save percentage (.538).
 
Sorting the Standings in the Opening Weeks
Through Friday, three CCIW programs remain unbeaten overall. Augustana leads the conference in total wins at 3-0, followed by Carroll (2-0) and Carthage (2-0) … Illinois Wesleyan is 2-1 after its Feb. 25 loss to Aurora. 
 
North Central has not recorded a result after its Feb. 25 game against Wisconsin-Stevens Point was canceled. Elmhurst is 0-2. The first CCIW contests are scheduled for April 4.
 
Road Tests and Season Openers on the Horizon
Saturday’s schedule includes five non-conference matchups. North Central is set to open its 2026 season at home against Hamline at 10:30 a.m. … Augustana will travel to Madison, Wis. to face Edgewood at 1 p.m. … Carroll will play at Aurora at 12 p.m., while Carthage will host Wisconsin-La Crosse at Art Keller Field at 1 p.m … Illinois Wesleyan will play its first road game of the season at Lake Forest at 11 a.m.
 
Next Tuesday, Elmhurst is scheduled to host Alma at 4 p.m., and North Central will host Saint Mary’s (Ind.) at 6 p.m. 
 
Milestones and Historical Program Marks
The first two weeks of the season included several program notes and individual milestones. Augustana’s 11-10 win over Cornell on Tuesday marked the program’s first victory over the Rams, and the Vikings’ 3-0 start is their best since 2014 … Illinois Wesleyan’s 2-0 start following Sunday’s win over Augsburg was the program’s first since 2019 … Individually, Marli Brown recorded a career-high 15 saves against Aurora on Wednesday, tying for the ninth-most saves in a single game in Titan program history … Anelise DiGiovanni also set a career high with seven assists in the Augsburg win.