FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. In its final non-conference game of the season, the Methodist women's lacrosse team delivered a dominant performance, shutting out Illinois Wesleyan University, 20–0, inside Monarch Stadium.
THE ESSENTIALS
Final score: Methodist def. Illinois Wesleyan, 20–0
Records: Methodist 7–3, Illinois Wesleyan 3–5
Location: Monarch Stadium; Fayetteville, North Carolina
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After a pair of early saves by Illinois Wesleyan, Methodist broke through and quickly seized control of the game. The Monarchs erupted for six goals in the opening quarter, with freshman Alana Rabon opening the scoring, followed by goals from Rylie Sturgill and Layla Wiesenfeld. Rabon added her second of the period, while Wiesenfeld tallied two more to cap a dominant first frame and give Methodist a 6–0 lead.
- Methodist continued its offensive momentum into the second quarter. Just 17 seconds into the period, Wiesenfeld recorded her fourth goal of the game. Brooke Murrell and Sturgill followed with goals of their own, and the Monarchs closed the half with three more scores from Anna Tabarrini, Murrell, and Wiesenfeld to take a commanding 12–0 advantage into halftime.
- Coming out of the break, Wiesenfeld once again wasted little time finding the back of the cage, scoring her sixth goal early in the third quarter. Murrell and Rabon each completed hat tricks during the period, while freshman Abigail Fritzsche added her first goal of the contest to push the lead to 16–0 heading into the final quarter.
- The Monarchs capped off the shutout in the fourth, adding four more goals. Wiesenfeld scored twice in the period, while Sturgill and Murrell each contributed one to secure the 20–0 victory.
FAST FACTS
- Wiesenfeld led all scorers with eight goals. Murrell added four goals, while Alana Rabon and Rylie Sturgill each recorded hat tricks.
- Murrell also dominated defensively, finishing with six draw controls, six ground balls, and six caused turnovers, matching her career high.
- Senior Cheyenne Burton dished out a career-high three assists.
- Sophomore goalkeeper Amelia Fuentes made six saves over the first 45 minutes, while junior Victorianna Murray closed out the final quarter in net.
- The shutout marked the ninth in program history — and the seventh since the start of the 2024 season.
UP NEXT
Methodist returns to USA South play on Saturday, March 21, hosting Southern Virginia University at Monarch Stadium. Opening draw is set for noon, with the Monarchs set to honor their 2026 senior class following the contest.
