Bloomington, Ill.. -- In their first game of the 2022 season, and under the direction of new head coach Fran Meyer, the Concordia University Chicago women's lacrosse team fell to Illinois Wesleyan 16-7. 
 
The Cougars got on the board first with a goal from Rylee Orenstein (Walnut Creek, Calif.) in the first two minutes of the game. Unable to get defensive stops, they fell behind quickly after allowing four goals within three minutes. Fresh into the second quarter, Orenstein grabbed herself two more goals within a minute of each other, cutting the Titan lead to three. The momentum didn't stay with the Cougars for too long as another string of four Titan goals pushed them to a 10-3 lead heading into halftime.
 
Fighting to get the offense moving, Emily Cyrwus (Chicago, Ill.) and Elizabeth Cyrwus (Chicago, Ill.) added a goal a piece coming into the second half. 
 
On par with the rest of the game, the Cougars scored first in the fourth quarter. A goal from Cyrwus within the first 45 seconds of the final quarter was followed by a fourth goal from Orenstein would be the final goal for the Cougars. As the Titans continued to press forward they grabbed another three goals to close out the game. 
 
They'll be back in action on Wednesday at Elmhurst at 7:00pm. Coverage can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.