BELOIT, WIS. – In their 2026 home opener, the Beloit College Buccaneers women's lacrosse team showed flashes of brilliance and defensive grit before ultimately falling to a potent Augustana (IL) squad, 14-4, this evening.
Despite the final score, the Buccaneers proved they could compete with the Vikings early on, fueled by a standout performance in the cage and a balanced scoring attack from their veteran leaders.
The Buccaneers' offense was paced by the duo of Julia Fussy (Mahtomedi, Minn.) and Willow Mashkuri (Middlesex, Vt.), who accounted for all four of Beloit's goals.
The first period was a see-saw battle that saw Beloit refuse to back down. After Augustana jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, the Buccaneers came roaring back. At the 3:51 mark of the first period, Fussy found a seam in the Vikings' defense to net an unassisted goal, putting Beloit on the board. Less than two minutes later, Mashkuri followed suit with a clinical unassisted strike at 2:26, evening the score at 2-2 and sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
Beloit's offense found the back of the net again in the third period when Mashkuri notched her second goal of the night. In the final frame, the Buccaneers capitalized on a player-advantage opportunity; Menah Garcia (New Hope, Minn.) delivered a perfectly timed assist to Fussy, who converted the "man-up" goal at 10:28 for her second score of the game.
While the offense provided the highlights, the story of the night for Beloit was the heroic effort of goalkeeper Kim Pilon (Birch Run, Mich.). Facing a relentless Augustana barrage that totaled 37 shots, Pilon was a wall for the Buccaneers.
Pilon recorded a staggering 17 saves on the night, including seven stops in the second period alone. Her ability to track the ball under pressure kept the Buccaneers within striking distance for much of the contest and prevented the Vikings from pulling away even further.
Beloit matched Augustana's physicality throughout the evening, particularly in the scrap for possession. The Buccaneers tied the Vikings in ground balls with 20 apiece, a testament to their hustle. Natasha Ludwig (Royalton), Mashkuri and Pilon led the team with four ground balls each.
On the draw, Fussy was the primary catalyst for Beloit, securing four draw controls to help the Buccaneers transition into their offensive sets. The team also showed discipline in their clearing game, successfully converting 7 of 8 clear attempts.
The Buccaneers are back in action on Wednesday, March 18th at Lawrence University. Game time from the Banta Bowl in Appleton is set for 7:30 pm.
