NCAA Debut Awaits as Firebirds Face Transylvania

KENOSHA — The Carthage College women's lacrosse team punched its ticket to the NCAA Division III Tournament and will face Transylvania in the first round, marking the program's first appearance on the national stage.

Carthage enters postseason play following a historic run to the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament Championship, defeating Carroll (Wis.) 9-6 on the road to secure the automatic bid. Under second-year head coach Maddie Berni, the Firebirds continue to build momentum with a 28-7 coaching record during her tenure.

Transylvania Rematch Awaits

Carthage has faced Transylvania once in program history. The Firebirds fell to the Pioneers 14-12 on the road in 2023.

Offensive Firepower

Carthage ranks second in the CCIW in both goals per game (14) and assists per game (7.28), showcasing one of the conference's most productive offenses.

Auggie Claridge, a First Team All-CCIW selection, leads the Firebirds with 55 goals and 34 assists. She ranks second in the conference in goals per game (3.24) and assists per game (2.00), while leading the league in points per game at 5.24. Her 6.41 shots per game rank third in the conference.

Piper LeFevre added First Team honors with 38 goals and 20 assists for 58 points, while Rosie Nolan earned Second Team recognition with 41 goals and a .765 shot-on-goal percentage. LeFevre was ninth in the conference in goals per game, and seventh in points per game. Kelsey O'Brien contributed 33 goals and 11 assists, further strengthening a balanced attack.

Defensive Standouts

Kaitlyn Goff anchored the defense, earning CCIW Co-Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year and First Team All-CCIW recognition. Goff was second in the conference in ground balls per game while leading the conference in draw controls per game. Hannah Kim joined her on the First Team after totaling 33 caused turnovers along with 17 goals and 20 points.

In goal, Xochitl Delvale-Vera has been a steady presence with a 15-3 record, 84 saves, and a .500 save percentage. She has faced 252 shots while logging significant minutes in net throughout the season. The sophomore leads the conference in save percentage while being sixth in saves per game.

Leadership on the Sideline

Head coach Maddie Berni has guided the Firebirds to new heights in her second season. A former Carthage student-athlete from 2019-23, Berni ranks eighth in program history in career points (194) and in both goals and assists. She was an All-CCIW Second Team selection in 2022 and helped lead the 2023 squad to a 16-3 record and a second-place conference finish.

New Flight Path

With a conference championship secured and a historic NCAA debut ahead, Carthage now turns its focus to Transylvania as the Firebirds look to continue their postseason run, starting May 9 at 1 p.m. EST.

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