WAUKESHA, Wis. – The Carroll University women's lacrosse team took down the Carthage Firebirds by a score of 15-6 in the opening round of the 2023 CCIW Women's Lacrosse Championship Tournament on Wednesday night in Waukesha. Katrina Hardin led with six goals while Rebecca Hallman added six points on four goals and two assists.
 
The Pioneers (13-3) hosted the CCIW Semifinals for the second time in the past three seasons, winning both times in solid fashion. Carroll also advances to their second CCIW Championship game in the last three seasons. The Pios outshot the Firebirds 36-15 on the night, including 25 opportunities on goal. Alicia Van Dale faced 13 shots on goal and came away with seven saves in the victory. The Pioneers converted 23-27 clear attempts, including a perfect 8-8 in the first quarter as they took a 6-0 lead. Carroll had six free-position shot opportunities and cashed in on two of them.
 
Hardin was off to the races early on, scoring the team's first goal at the 12:21 mark of the game. Hardin scored goal number two and it was Clara Jelacic who scored a woman-up goal with 3:03 left in the first quarter to make it 3-0. Carroll added three more points in the final three minutes, all three from Hardin's stick. Jelacic scored Carroll's first free position goal of the night a woman up early on in the second quarter. The Firebirds were able to cut into the lead by one but Hardin scored on a free-position shot of her own to keep Carroll up seven. Hallman picked up two points before the end of the second quarter as the Pios went into the locker room up 10-1.
 
Hallman was the Pioneer responsible for giving Carroll a running clock in the third quarter, with her second goal at the 14:19 mark. Hallman scored once more and Lexi Kaltenberg got in on the action to put Carroll up by 12. The Firebirds scored three straight to stop Carroll's momentum and running clock, but Abby Stas put the Pios back up by 10 with 2:04 left in the third. The Pios were shut out in the fourth quarter by the Firebirds, but Carthage only scored twice to keep the running clock in favor of Carroll for most of the quarter.
 
The Pioneers will face the University of Chicago on Saturday, May 6 in Chicago for the 2023 CCIW Women's Lacrosse Championship. Carroll fell to the Maroons a week before on the road.