BELOIT, Wis. – The Beloit College women's lacrosse team delivered an overwhelming performance on their home turf Wednesday evening, routing Illinois Tech 23-2 at Strong Stadium. The Buccaneers controlled the contest from the opening draw, showcasing potent offense and stout defense in the conference matchup.
Beloit (7-4, 4-3 NACC) was spearheaded by sensational scoring efforts from Maya DeGeorge (Grand Junction, Colo.) and Johanna McNair (Fishers, Ind.). DeGeorge found the back of the net a game-high nine times, pushing her season total past 60 goals. DeGeorge's nine goals tie a single game record. McNair was equally impressive, tallying eight goals and adding an assist for a nine-point night. Her tally makes her the all-time career points leader.
The Buccaneers wasted no time asserting their dominance, scoring the first four goals of the game within the opening six minutes, with McNair netting two, Daisy Kleinhoffer (Minooka, Ill.) scoring one, and Cecilia Johnson (Mobile, Ala.) adding another off a Kleinhoffer assist. Beloit extended the lead to 8-0 midway through the second period thanks to goals from Willow Mashkuri (Middlesex, Vt.), Cassidy Felix (Bellflower, Calif.), and two more from McNair.
After Illinois Tech (1-14, 0-7 NACC) scored their only two goals late in the second period, Beloit completely shut the door. The Buccaneers' defense locked down, holding the visitors scoreless for the entire second half while the offense exploded for 15 unanswered goals. Beloit outscored IIT 7-0 in the third period and 8-0 in the fourth.
Beyond the dynamic duo of DeGeorge and McNair, Beloit received contributions throughout the lineup. Mashkuri and Felix finished with two goals each. Kleinhoffer added two assists to her early goal, while Menah Garcia (New Hope, Minn.) facilitated effectively with two assists.
Statistically, Beloit's dominance was evident across the board. They outshot Illinois Tech 51-9, including a 39-6 advantage in shots on goal. The Buccaneers commanded ground balls (30-8), won the draw control battle (18-11), and were perfect on clears, successfully transitioning 14 out of 14 times. Beloit's defense pressured Illinois Tech into 25 turnovers while committing only 11 themselves and remarkably only recorded one foul for the entire game.
Goalkeeper Kim Pilon (Birch Run, Mich.) played the first half for Beloit, earning the win with four saves. Jasmin Bowers (Richmond, Texas) took over in the second half, preserving the shutout over the final 30 minutes.
For Illinois Tech, Antonia Martinez scored both goals, while goalie Mercy Godfrey faced constant pressure, making 16 saves in the loss.
The Buccaneers host the Raiders of MSOE on Saturday for Senior Day. Game time is set for 2 pm. at Strong Stadium
