KENOSHA, Wis. – The Carroll University women's lacrosse team fell in its final road game of the regular season on Wednesday night to Carthage College by a score of 8-9. Carthage scored their game winner with 1:04 remaining in the game, despite the Pioneers scoring three-goals in the fourth to tie the game. Clara Jelacic and Katrina Hardin both recorded three goals, while Jelacic led the team defensively with a season-high 16 ground balls, nine caused turnovers, and five draw controls.
 
The Pioneers (8-6, 3-2 CCIW) kept the ball game close the entire game with the red-hot Firebirds. The Pios recorded 26 shots, 18 of which were on goal. Alicia Van Dale played the whole game in the cage, recording 13 saves, including eight in the second half. Carroll struggled to stop the Firebirds in their clear attempts, while Carroll only completed 19-28 attempts. The Pios won just nine draw controls and recorded three free-position shots.
 
With both team recording shots and turnovers early, it was Grace Brockman who struck first, scoring at the 9:12 mark of the first quarter with an unassisted goal. Carthage responded with back-to-back goals to take their first lead of the game. The Pios took advantage of a man-up situation as Jelacic found the back of the net assisted by Janu Patel. The Firebirds ended the first quarter with a goal, and threatened again as time expired, but Van Dale tailed a save to end the period. The Firebirds took a 4-2 lead early in the second quarter, and after a lengthy period, Jelacic and Patel scored two more for Carroll to knot up the score 4-4 going into halftime.
 
Carthage came out of the halftime break with two quick goals to re-take a lead. Down three late in the third, Jelacic scored with under a minute to go from a Lexi Kaltenberg pass to cut the deficit to two. Hardin scored all three of her goals in the fourth quarter, starting with a man-up opportunity after a Firebird yellow card at the 10:50 mark. With a man down, Hardin scored on a pass from Jelacic to tie the game at 7-7. After earning a free-position attempt, Carthage scored two seconds later to go up one. Hardin responded by winning the draw control and scoring on a pass from Brockman. After winning the draw, Carthage called a timeout to draw up a play to score with 1:04 left. Jelacic won the last draw control of the game, but a Carthage caused turnover with 47 seconds left allowed Carthage to hold the ball out to take the win.
 
The Pioneers will finish the 2022 regular season with a home game against the Augustana Vikings on Saturday, April 30 at 1 PM.