KENOSHA, Wis. - For the second-consecutive season, DePauw University took down the Firebirds in their season-opener by a margin of five goals. This time, it was by a score of 14-9 on a cold afternoon at Art Keller Field. First-year student-athlete Kyleigh Higgins was phenomenal for Carthage, scoring four goals and dishing out three assists in her debut. 



 

• Final score: DePauw 14, Carthage 9. 
• Location: Art Keller Field - Kenosha, Wisconsin. 
• Records: Carthage 0-1, DePauw 1-0. 

 

• Fittingly, Rachel Harris scored the first goal of the Firebirds' season - converting 2:25 into the contest off of an assist from first-year student-athlete Kyleigh Higgins. The goal is the 90th of Harris' career. 
• DePauw had an exceptional answer to Carthage's goal, ripping off five unanswered in a span of only five minutes. The Tigers took a 5-1 lead before Elizabeth Oda scored on an assist from Rachel Harris. 
• It took only 30 seconds for the Tigers to answer back, scoring on their next possession. Carthage was able to chisel the deficit down to three, trailing 6-3 at the end of one. 
• The Firebirds closed the gap to two at the 9:26 mark of the second quarter courtesy of a goal from Higgins, assisted by fellow-freshman Shannon Heitschmidt. Carthage was held scoreless over the next six minutes and change as DePauw rattled off a 3-0 run. 
• The visitors would go into the locker room holding a firm five-goal lead, leading 11-6. 
• Carthage's defense tightened up significantly to begin the second half, taming the Tigers for the quarter's first 14:32. Carthage scored twice while DePauw's offense sputtered to bring the score to 11-8 in favor of the visitors before the Tigers' late goal. 
• The home team's offense struggled to convert for the majority of the fourth quarter, allowing DePauw to create a sizable six-point lead late into the game. Kyleigh Higgins continued her phenomenal Firebird debut with another goal late in the quarter, but DePauw's lead held firm. The Tigers walked away with a 14-9 win, defeating Carthage in its' season opener for the second-consecutive season. 
• Carthage, statistically, outperformed the Tigers in a number of key categories including shots, turnovers (three fewer), and ground balls. DePauw, however, used a series of runs, solid offensive execution (particularly in the first half), and pristine passing to outscore the Firebirds. 

 

• First-year student-athlete Kyleigh Higgins was scintillating in her first game as a Firebird, scoring four goals on 11 shots (six on goal) while picking up three assists. Higgins' strong play offensively kept Carthage within striking distance throughout the night. 
• A tandem of first-year athletes - Piper LeFevre and Hannah Kim - each caused three turnovers. LeFevre also scored the first goal of her young career in the defeat. 
• First-year athlete Shannon Heitschmidt recorded two assists, a caused turnover, and three groundballs tonight. 

"Excited to just get our first game under our belts, to see where we stand," said Carthage head women's lacrosse coach John Sung - entering his second season at the helm of the program. 

"Really excited about some of our freshmen. Kyleigh Higgins had a great game. I thought Shannon (Heitschmidt) came out with a couple of big assists."

"We just need to come out to work on our team chemistry, but we'll get it. It's a long season. It was nice just to play someone else after the four weeks of preseason play, and we're excited to get back out there on Saturday."



 

• The Firebirds look to rebound and hit the road for a Saturday morning contest against Marian on February 25. The game will begin at 11 a.m.