ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Wisconsin-La Crosse went on an 8-1 run over a 22-minute stretch late in the first half and early in the second Saturday and defeated Augustana 14-11 at Thorson-Lucken Field. The Vikings dropped to 1-3 on the season, while the contest was the Eagles' 2021 season opener.
 
The hosts took a 3-0 lead in the first 10 minutes on goals by Margaret Cecilio (Archbishop Mitty HS, San Jose, Calif.), Sandra Pielechaty (Taft HS, Chicago, Ill.) and Kathryn Hettiger (Carmel HS, Carmel, Ind.). Abigial Steigauf got UWL on the board at 15:56 of the first half Valerie Johnson scored 40 seconds later to pull the Eagles to within a goal.
 
Another Hettiger goal stemmed the tide temporarily, but the Eagles had the final three tallies of the period. Johnson and Steigauf scored again and Nicole Jernander beat the halftime buzzer with a goal to give La Crosse a 5-4 lead at intermission.
 
Johnson, Jernander and Grace Wilmott each found the back of the net in the first 5½ minutes of the second stanza as the visitors went up 8-4. Cecilio, Pielechaty and Cassidy Petrie (Naperville North HS, Naperville, Ill.) sandwiched goals around one by Jernander to get the Vikings to within 9-7, but four different Eagles scored consecutively to give the visitors a 13-7 edge with less than seven minutes to play.
 
Cecilio and Jernander traded goals before the Vikings tallied three—two by Hettiger and one by Sydney Rector (Fishers HS, Fishers, Ind.)—in the last six minutes to account for the final.
 
Hettiger led Coach C.J. Holder's crew with four goals, while Cecilio had three goals and three assists and Pielechaty two goals and three assists. Cecilio controlled seven draws and Hettiger a half-dozen. Jernander had five goals for the Eagles.
 
Augustana is back in action on Saturday, March 13, hosting Benedictine, with first draw scheduled for noon.