NAPERVILLE — As the regular season nears its conclusion, the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) women’s lacrosse standings remain led by Carroll and Carthage, while the remaining programs continue to compete for postseason position. 
 
Carroll and Carthage both moved to 4-0 in league play last week and have secured berths in the four-team CCIW Tournament.
 
High Noon and Kenosha Heat: This Saturday's Finales
The regular season concludes Saturday with three conference games. Elmhurst will host Illinois Wesleyan at 11 a.m. for Senior Day at Langhorst Field. Augustana will host North Central at noon at Thorson-Lucken Field.
 
The final game of the regular season is scheduled for 4 p.m. in Kenosha, where Carthage will host Carroll. The matchup between the two unbeaten conference teams will determine the outright CCIW regular-season champion and the No. 1 seed for the CCIW Tournament. The tournament semifinals are scheduled for next Wednesday, April 29.
 
Pioneer Precision and Firebird Firepower
Carroll and Carthage each remained unbeaten in CCIW play with road victories on Wednesday. Carroll defeated North Central 22-2 behind six goals and two assists from Elizabeth Wang. Carthage earned a 17-0 win at Elmhurst, with Auggie Claridge and Piper LeFevre each scoring four goals.
 
Those results followed a pair of Saturday wins for the league leaders. Carthage defeated Illinois Wesleyan 22-2, while Carroll posted a 22-4 victory over Augustana. In Carroll’s win, Sierra Skack set the program’s single-season assists record after finishing with five assists and four goals. Skack was later named the CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week.
 
Vikings Conquer the Titans in Bloomington
Augustana moved into sole possession of third place in the conference standings last Wednesday with a 15-8 win at Illinois Wesleyan. Colleen Chiavola led the Vikings with five goals and three caused turnovers, while Madison Langewisch added four goals and seven draw controls.
 
Illinois Wesleyan’s Sadie Newton recorded three goals and five caused turnovers in the loss, matching her career high in caused turnovers. 
 
North Central also collected its first conference win of the season last Saturday, defeating Elmhurst 13-7. Rachel Lawrence scored a career-high six goals for the Cardinals.
 
The Century Mark: National Leaders and Program Records
Several CCIW student-athletes remain among the league and national leaders entering the final week of the regular season. Carthage’s Auggie Claridge leads the conference in points per game at 5.50. Carroll’s Elizabeth Wang leads the league in goals per game at 3.53, followed by Claridge at 3.43.
 
Skack leads the CCIW with 32 assists and ranks 62nd nationally in assists per game. Wang’s 53 goals rank 59th in Division III. Augustana’s Becca Lacina is also among the national leaders in assists per game, ranking 71st at 2.07.
 
Guarding the Gates: A National Showcase of Defense
Carthage continues to rank among the top defensive teams in Division III. The Firebirds are second nationally in scoring defense, allowing 5.00 goals per game. Goalkeeper Xochitl Delvale-Vera ranks second in the country with a 5.26 goals-against average.
 
Carroll’s Grace Tumilty leads Division III with 4.47 caused turnovers per game. Augustana ranks sixth nationally as a team in caused turnovers per game at 15.33. Carthage’s Kaitlyn Goff was named the CCIW Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week after recording 11 draw controls and seven ground balls against Illinois Wesleyan.
 
Dialing In: Navigating the NPI and Tiebreaker Logic
The NCAA Power Index remains part of the national postseason selection process. The NPI uses a weighted formula based on winning percentage and strength of schedule, with additional multipliers for home and away results. Carthage currently owns the highest NPI ranking among CCIW programs at No. 37, followed by Carroll at No. 38.
 
If CCIW teams finish tied in the regular-season standings, the league tiebreaker procedure begins with head-to-head results. The next steps include record against teams above the tie and goal differential in conference games, with the goal differential capped at seven goals per game.
 
By the Numbers: Reviewing the Conference Standings
The CCIW standings as of Friday have Carroll and Carthage tied for first place at 4-0 in conference play and 13-2 overall. Augustana is third at 2-2 in the league and 9-6 overall. Illinois Wesleyan and North Central are both 1-3 in conference play, with the Titans at 5-10 overall and the Cardinals at 3-9. Elmhurst is 0-4 in the CCIW and 4-10 overall. Carroll and Carthage have both clinched berths in the CCIW Tournament.