NAPERVILLE — As April approaches, the final stretch of non-conference play continues to provide a measure of where teams stand entering the start of College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) women’s lacrosse competition. 
 
Carroll remains unbeaten at 9-0, while Carthage has continued to distinguish itself with one of the stronger defensive profiles in Division III. Across the conference, recent results have also included several productive offensive performances and notable individual efforts.
 
Pioneers Pushing Perfection: Carroll Sweeps Weekly Honors
Carroll continued its strong start to the 2026 season by earning both CCIW Student-Athlete of the Week honors on Tuesday. Sierra Skack received the offensive award after totaling 15 points in two wins. She recorded nine goals and six assists for the week, including six goals and three assists in a 21-4 win over Concordia Wisconsin on Wednesday and three goals with three assists in a 17-7 victory over Saint Benedict last Saturday.
 
Grace Tumilty was selected on the defensive side after helping Carroll limit opponents to 11 total goals across the two games. Tumilty finished the week with 15 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers. Against Saint Benedict, she posted a career-high 12 ground balls and added eight caused turnovers. Carroll followed with a 13-6 win over Lake Forest on Monday to improve to 9-0 overall. The Pioneers currently rank 10th nationally in scoring margin.
 
The Kenosha Lockout: Carthage Maintains Defensive Mastery
Carthage continued to build its early-season success behind strong defensive play. The Firebirds posted a 19-0 shutout of Marian last Thursday, followed with an 18-2 win over MSOE on Saturday and added a 19-3 victory over Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Wednesday. In the shutout against Marian, Carthage allowed only three shots, none of which were on goal. Goalkeeper Xochitl Delvale-Vera was credited with the shutout without recording a save.
 
Nationally, Carthage entered the week ranked sixth in Division III in scoring defense at 5.11 goals allowed per game. The Firebirds also ranked 19th in save percentage at .516. Auggie Claridge has led the offensive effort and recorded six goals in the win over Marian. Claridge currently leads the conference with 4.00 goals per game. Carthage has opened the year 8-1 overall.
 
National Spotlight: CCIW Stat-Stuffers on the Big Stage
Recent NCAA statistics continued to show CCIW teams and student-athletes among the national leaders. Carroll ranked first nationally in winning percentage at 1.000 and 10th in scoring margin at +9.56. Augustana also appeared among the team leaders, ranking fourth in ground balls per game at 28.91.
 
Individually, Tumilty ranked sixth nationally in caused turnovers per game at 4.00 and 11th in ground balls per game at 5.44. Skack was 47th nationally in assists per game at 2.33. Augustana’s Madison Langewisch ranked 14th nationally in total goals with 38. Carroll goalkeeper Devon Duym ranked eighth in save percentage at .549.
 
Wednesday Wonders and Monday Momentum: Recent Results Roundup
The previous week included several non-conference results across the league. Elmhurst earned an 11-5 road win over Hanover on Wednesday behind four goals from Zoe Valdevenito and three from Hannah Jacob. Augustana split its recent outings, defeating Albion 17-8 on Monday before falling 24-9 to Adrian on Wednesday.
 
Elsewhere, Illinois Wesleyan completed a difficult stretch of non-conference play with a loss at Meredith, 24-1, last Friday. The Titans then dropped a 23-4 decision to Chicago on Wednesday. North Central also fell on Wednesday, losing 16-7 at Wisconsin-Stout.
 
The Leaderboard: Statistical Supremacy Across the Circuit
Conference statistical leaders began to take shape during the non-league portion of the season. Claridge led the CCIW in goals per game at 4.00, followed by Langewisch at 3.45 and Carroll’s Elizabeth Wang at 3.44. In assists, Skack led the conference at 2.33 per game, with Augustana’s Becca Lacina next at 2.09.
 
In goal, Delvale-Vera led conference goalkeepers with a 5.19 goals-against average. Duym held the top save percentage in the conference at .543.
 
Hierarchy of the Heartland: Current 2026 Records
Carroll held the top overall record in the conference at 9-0 entering the next stretch of play. Carthage followed at 8-1 and had won six straight contests. Augustana stood at 7-4, while Elmhurst was 4-5. Illinois Wesleyan entered at 3-7 and North Central at 2-6.
 
Markers on the Horizon: The Upcoming Schedule
The next portion of the schedule includes several final non-conference contests before league play begins. Augustana is scheduled to play at Carthage on Saturday, April 4 at 1 p.m. Carroll will travel to Wisconsin-River Falls on Saturday at 2 p.m. 
 
Carthage is set to host Lake Forest next Wednesday at 7 p.m. Elmhurst will play at Wittenberg on Friday at 3 p.m. Illinois Wesleyan is scheduled to play at North Central on Saturday, April 4 at 1 p.m.