APPLETON, Wis. — Illinois Tech women's lacrosse secured a decisive 11–4 victory over Lawrence University on Saturday, marking back-to-back Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) victories for the Scarlet Hawks for the first time since the 2022 season, after their victory over Beloit on Tuesday. The Hawks capitalized on their player-up opportunities, scoring five player-up goals throughout the game. Senior Antonia Martinez scored a season-high eight goals in the match, equaling her career single-game high. Graduate Student Kelly Hitchcock added three goals.

Illinois Tech has a record of 5-12 overall and 3-6 in conference play. The Vikings hold a record of 1-13 overall and 1-8 in conference games.

How It Happened

The first quarter commenced with both teams establishing their goalkeepers, Samantha Gargiulo for Illinois Tech and Emma Berg for Lawrence. The Scarlet Hawks took an early lead with Kelly Hitchcock scoring at 12:14, marking her twelfth goal of the season. Antonia Martinez extended the advantage with two consecutive goals at 9:02 and 7:08. Despite the Vikings' efforts, including a shot by Reese Deibert that was off target, Illinois Tech maintained a 3–0 lead at the end of the quarter.

The Vikings opened the second quarter with a goal by Emmerson Berger at 13:58, but Illinois Tech responded with a goal from Hitchcock at 7:36, assisted by Martinez. Illinois Tech maintained momentum with another goal by Martinez at 4:44, increasing its lead to 5–1. Lawrence narrowed the gap with a player-up goal by Sophia Labrecque at 1:39, concluding the quarter at 5–2. Both teams scored twice in the quarter, leaving Illinois Tech ahead as they moved into the next phase of play.

Illinois Tech capitalized on Lawrence's penalties in the third quarter. Martinez scored a player-up goal at 7:35 following a yellow card on Lawrence's Dejah Phillips. Hitchcock extended Illinois Tech's lead by adding another player-up goal just 22 seconds later, assisted by Eliza Baron. Illinois Tech controlled the draw immediately after both goals, with Hitchcock securing the ball both times, maintaining the momentum. Defensive efforts by Illinois Tech were highlighted by Gargiulo's key saves, including a stop on a free position shot by Deibert with 2:44 remaining.

Martinez led Illinois Tech's decisive fourth-quarter performance with four goals, including three player-up scores. Lawrence's Emma Perry initially narrowed the gap with a free position goal at 11:55, but Martinez responded with two consecutive goals, both from free position shots, after a yellow card on Lawrence's Sophie Morey. Mackenzie Igel-Harri scored the Vikings' final goal at 4:53, but Martinez sealed the game for Illinois Tech with a final goal in the closing seconds. The victory was secured with a 4–2 scoring margin in the quarter, concluding with an 11–4 win for Illinois Tech.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

Antonia Martinez
- 8 goals
- 1 assist
- 11 shots on goal
- 1 game-winning goal

Kelly Hitchcock
- 3 goals
- 4 shots
- 1 player-up goal

Samantha Gargiulo
- 6 saves
- 15 shots faced

Lawrence Top Performers

Sophia Labrecque
- 1 goal
- 1 shot on goal
- 1 player-up goal

Emma Perry
- 1 goal
- 2 shots on goal
- 1 free position goal

Mackenzie Igel-Harri
- 1 goal
- 1 player-up goal
- 1 shot on goal

Game Notes:
- Illinois Tech improved to 2-0 overall against the Vikings, winning the inaugural match in 2025 at Chicago.
- Team - Achieved a season-high of 5 player-up goals in the game.
- Antonia Martinez - Recorded 8 goals, marking a season high.
- Martinez - Registered a season high of 11 shots on goal.
- Martinez - Took a season high of 12 shots in the game.
- Team - Scored 11 goals, surpassing their season average of 6.6.

Up Next
The next challenge for Illinois Tech comes as it travels to face Lake Forest College on Tuesday, April 21 at 4 p.m. in the Scarlet Hawks season finale.