Illinois Wesleyan’s women’s lacrosse team has been on an early heater.
Opening the season on the weekend of Feb. 21 at home, the Titans started off 2-0 against Illinois Tech and Augsburg University. Besting the Scarlet Hawks 15-12 and the Auggies 20-10, the weekend sweep marks the team’s best start since 2019.
Illinois Wesleyan fell to Aurora University on Feb. 25, but the two victories still show promise for this year’s team.
With a roster of only 15 and two currently sidelined with injuries, the Titans don’t have it easy. In women’s lacrosse, 12 players take the field at a time. The team is working with limited subs, as well as some of their active players battling injuries.
On top of limited numbers, the team has four newcomers. Three first-years—two of which had never held a lacrosse stick until this season—and sophomore attack Soleil Gutierrez, who also took up the sport this year.
This shifts leadership onto the 11 returning players, who are now seeing more minutes or playing different positions than they expected when they entered the season.
“Going from playing 45 minutes a game where I got breaks in between plays to playing a full 60 minutes at midfield is tough,” said sophomore midfielder Sophie Shore.
She said the low numbers have certainly been an adjustment, but it hasn’t deterred Shore or the team. Shore personally shifted from playing defense in the 2025 season to pitching in at midfield this year.
“I’m not sure there’s any place I’d rather be,” Shore said, “I get to push myself for 60 minutes in the freezing cold, and I get to better myself playing the sport I love.” Shore has been settling into her new role nicely, scoring in all three matches.
Senior midfielders Sadie Newton and Anelise DiGiovanni, along with Shore and fellow sophomore attacker Lillie Keeton, currently lead the team in scoring. Newton has notched 10 goals so far, and DiGiovanni, Shore and Keeton are tied for eight. Shore says the team has adjusted well between players switching positions and welcoming the rookies.
“There’s not much else you can do other than rise to the occasion,” Shore said.
The Titans also saw DiGiovanni and Newton sweep the opening week of College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin awards, with the pair earning the offensive and defensive honors, respectively.
Even with a young team, the Titan’s standards remain the same. The team is focusing on progress and skill-building after their successful opening weekend and hoping to rake in more wins later in the season.
“We expect everyone to put in their best work and make efforts to improve every day, new and old players alike,” Shore said.
While there is variation in skill level, the determination remains the same. The Titans will return to Tucci Stadium on March 4 at 6 p.m. for a battle against Cornell College. If you can’t make it to the field, livestreams and live stats will be available oniwusports.com.
