NAPERVILLE — The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) women’s lacrosse season carried forward last week as teams balanced non-conference play and spring break travel. 
 
Five-Star Start: Carroll Maintains Pristine Record
Carroll remains the lone unbeaten team in the CCIW at 5-0 overall. The Pioneers opened the week with a 13-8 road win over Albright last Sunday before adding a 19-8 victory at SUNY Canton on Wednesday. Elizabeth Wang led Carroll offensively against Canton with six goals and two assists, while Paige Helms added four goals and nine draw controls.
 
Bluejay Flight: Valdevenito Soars to Weekly Honors
Elmhurst put together an efficient offensive stretch during the week, led by senior midfielder Zoe Valdevenito, who was named the CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week on Tuesday. Valdevenito recorded a career-high five goals and seven ground balls against Alma on March 3, then followed with four goals on four shots in a 12-5 win over Illinois Tech last Thursday. 
 
The Bluejays also picked up a 13-3 victory over Beloit in their home opener at Langhorst Field on Monday. Grace Lorkiewicz and Ashley Kay Sardon each finished with four points in the win, while senior goalkeeper Jacq Vanoni recorded seven saves.
 
Firebird Fortress: Ruf Anchors Carthage Defense
Carthage continued to rely on its defensive group in a pair of non-conference victories. Junior defender Taylor Ruf earned CCIW Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week honors on Tuesday after recording six ground balls and six caused turnovers in an 11-2 win over Aurora last Saturday. In that contest, the Firebirds held Aurora scoreless over the final three quarters. 
 
Carthage then opened its spring break trip with an 11-6 win over Whitman on Thursday in Walla Walla, Wash. Auggie Claridge scored five goals to lead the offense, while goalkeeper Xochitl Delvale-Vera made 10 saves.
 
Twin Cities Tear: Vikings Reset Scoring Standard in Minneapolis
Augustana turned in one of the conference’s most productive offensive weeks, highlighted by a 23-3 victory at Augsburg last Friday. The 23 goals marked the highest single-game total by a CCIW team this season. 
 
Earlier in the week, the Vikings posted a 14-4 win at Beloit on Wednesday, with Em Dornbusch scoring five goals and Madison Langewisch and Becca Lacina adding four apiece. Augustana suffered a 16-5 loss at Hamline last Saturday. Despite the result, goalkeeper Eva Karjalahti recorded 12 saves. The Vikings enter the weekend with a 5-2 overall record.
 
Bolts and Goals: Cardinals Strike Twice Around Lightning Delays
North Central collected two wins during the week, beginning with a 17-2 victory over Beloit last Saturday. Eight different Cardinals scored in the contest, with Mikaela Busse leading the way with five goals and Samantha Alis adding her first hat trick of the season. 
 
North Central returned home Tuesday to face Illinois Tech in a game that was called in the fourth quarter due to lightning, but not before the Cardinals secured a 4-1 result. Anna Williamson and Busse each scored twice, while Leah Frystak posted five caused turnovers and goalkeeper CC Rovik made four saves.
 
By the Numbers: CCIW Statistical Scouting Report
Several CCIW student-athletes continue to rank among the conference leaders in key statistical categories. Carroll’s Elizabeth Wang leads the league in goals per game at 3.40, while Elmhurst’s Zoe Valdevenito ranks second at 3.33. Carroll’s Sierra Skack tops the conference in assists per game at 2.80. 
 
Defensively, Grace Tumilty of Carroll leads the CCIW with 4.40 caused turnovers per game, and Illinois Wesleyan’s Sadie Newton leads the conference in draw controls per game at 6.14. In goal, Elmhurst’s Jacq Vanoni is averaging a conference-best 10.33 saves per game.
 
Lookahead: Records and Upcoming Matchups
As mid-March approaches, Carroll owns the CCIW’s top record at 5-0, followed by Carthage at 4-1, Augustana at 5-2, North Central at 2-2, Illinois Wesleyan at 3-4 and Elmhurst at 2-4. 
 
The upcoming non-conference schedule includes Augustana hosting Marian on Saturday at 4 p.m., Carroll traveling to Wisconsin-La Crosse for a 1 p.m. contest and Elmhurst hosting Augsburg on Sunday at 1 p.m. 
 
North Central is also scheduled to host Concordia Wisconsin next Tuesday at 6 p.m.