Chicago, Ill. — The Illinois Tech Women's Lacrosse team faced a tough challenge against Hamline University on a chilly Sunday at Stuart Field, falling 14-5. Despite the setback, Scarlet Hawks' goalkeeper Samantha Gargiulo stood out with an impressive 22 saves establishing a new school single game record. The Scarlet Hawks' record now stands at 0-3, while the Pipers improve to 2-0.

How It Happened

The game kicked off with the Pipers gaining an early advantage as Ema Rehder opened the scoring at 12:38, assisted by Kayli Starkey. Illinois Tech quickly countered with Antonia Martinez finding the net at 11:13, tying the game. Martinez struck again with a free position goal at 9:28, giving the Scarlet Hawks a brief lead. Ava Roll added to the momentum with her own free position goal at 8:02, making it 3-1. However, the Pipers surged back as Lauren Moorhouse scored at 7:38, followed by two more from Rehder, including a player-up goal at 0:48, ending the first quarter with the Pipers up 4-3.

The second quarter saw the Pipers widen their lead, starting with a free position goal by Moorhouse at 13:01. Emma Collins, assisted by Rehder, added another at 9:17. Despite Gargiulo's key saves, including a crucial stop against Collins at 1:40, Illinois Tech couldn't capitalize offensively and remained scoreless in the quarter. The Pipers led 6-3 at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Pipers continued to dominate. Reagan Zywicki scored a player-up goal at 14:02, with Starkey assisting. Moorhouse added two more goals at 3:14 and 3:01, with help from Zywicki and a solo effort. Martinez provided a spark for the Scarlet Hawks with a goal at 6:15, but the Pipers kept pushing, with Rehder scoring at 2:10, assisted by Starkey. Despite Gargiulo's efforts, the Pipers ended the quarter with a commanding 12-4 lead.

In the final quarter, Iona Pettigrew scored for Illinois Tech at 14:25, narrowing the gap. However, the Pipers responded with Zywicki scoring at 10:37 and Rehder adding to their tally at 6:43. Despite the Scarlet Hawks' defensive efforts, the Pipers maintained control, sealing their 14-5 victory.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

Antonia Martinez
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- 3 goals
- 7 shots
- 6 shots on goal

Samantha Gargiulo
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- 22 saves
- 51 shots faced

Ava Roll
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- 1 goal
- 1 free-position goal

Pipers Top Performers

Ema Rehder
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- 5 goals
- 1 assist
- 5 shots on goal

Reagan Zywicki
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- 2 goals
- 1 assist
- 14 shots

Emma Collins
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- 2 goals
- 1 assist
- 10 shots

Game Notes:
- Illinois Tech now stands at 2-3 all-time against Hamline, with the last three meetings resulting in losses.
- Gargiulo recorded  22 saves a new high for saves in a game for the Scarlet Hawks
- Faced a season-high 51 shots against the Pipers 
- Elise Wierzchon - Recorded a season-high of 6 ground balls.

Up Next
The Scarlet Hawks will look to bounce back as they host Elmhurst University at Stuart Field in Chicago, Illinois. The game is set for Thursday, March 5 at 2 p.m.