Records Fall as Women's Lacrosse Downs Augustana

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - The Concordia Wisconsin women's lacrosse team closed its spring break week with its opening win of the 2024 campaign, topping the Augustana Vikings 23-11. Sophomore Katelyn Cardinale (Mount Laurel, N.J.) shattered a program record for the Falcons in the outing, scoring 11 goals to eclipse the previous best of eight scores, reached most recently in 2019.

The Falcons got off to a strong start, scoring the first four goals of the game. Senior Elliana Fuchs (Brookfield, Wis.) put Concordia ahead just 13 seconds into competition before Cardinale continued her dominant stretch to open the season, scoring the next three goals. Junior Ava Karlov (Naperville, Ill.) found a goal with just under nine minutes remaining in the opening quarter before the Vikings rattled off three consecutive goals to tie the game at eight. Cardinale and junior Natalie Mackrell (Stuttgart, Germany) combined to make up the three-goal barrage, leaving Concordia with an 8-5 advantage after 15 minutes of play.

Four of the Falcons' first-quarter scorers tallied goals in the second quarter, as well as freshman Carolyn Bourgeault (Kenmore, N.Y.), who notched her third goal of the season.

After taking a six-goal lead into halftime, Concordia outscored the Vikings 7-2 in the third quarter, which featured an additional three goals from Cardinale. Having recorded a pair of assists in the first half, senior Savannah Schweiger (Eagle, Wis.)  picked up her first goal of the season in the frame.

Augustana cut into the lead in the opening moments of the fourth quarter, but Schweiger, Cardinale, and Fuchs combined for three straight Falcons goals to end the contest.

Concordia's 23 goals marked the program's highest-scoring performance since 2015.

Freshman goaltender Parks Cawthray (Oakville, Ontario) recorded her first career win for the Falcons, stopping six shots in the outing.

The Falcons will next battle the 2-1 Carthage Firebirds on March 13.