Lacrosse Set to Host Niagara in Inaugural Game

Lacrosse vs. Niagara
Date	Thursday, Feb. 16 \| 12 p.m.
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Indoor Practice Facility
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF ) \| Media Guide (PDF) \| Program
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Twitter	@EMU_Lacrosse \| @EMUAthletics
Instagram	@emu_Lacrosse \| @emuathletics
Season Preview Video	Video

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University lacrosse team is set to compete in its inaugural game, Feb. 16, as the Eagles will welcome Niagara University to town for a noon game inside the Indoor Practice Facility. The Eagles, one of four NCAA programs playing their first collegiate season in 2023, will lift the lid against the Purple Eagles (1-0) in Eastern's first of eight home games this year.

OPENING DRAWS:
» The Eagles will take the field for the first time after being introduced as the newest varsity program at Eastern 1,198 days prior, Nov. 6, 2019.
» Eastern is one of four new NCAA programs starting this year, including Clemson, Queens (NC), and Xavier, who the Eagles are slated to play, March 12, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
» Twenty-seven of the 121 teams competing in NCAA Division I women's lacrosse have started their programs since the beginning of the 2013 season. In 2023, EMU will play 10 of those teams with 11-of-18 games on the schedule against those foes (two games with Central Michigan).
» Eastern is a member of the Mid-American Conference and is the seventh team in the league, joining MAC members Akron, Central Michigan, and Kent State, and affiliate members Detroit Mercy, Robert Morris, and Youngstown State.
» In the MAC Preseason Coaches Poll, the Eagles received 13 votes and enter the season tied for sixth with Detroit Mercy. Robert Morris (46 points) and defending champion CMU (43 points) were selected to finish first and second, respectively.
» Head Coach Sara Tisdale, who took the reigns of the program, June 21, 2022, is in her 11th season coaching varsity collegiate lacrosse and is building her third program after starting the teams at both Augustana (NCAA Division III) and Central Michigan (NCAA Division I). She holds a career record of 105-63 and has led her teams to three NCAA appearances.
» The Eagles will field a very young team that features 26 'true' freshmen, six redshirt freshmen, one junior transfer, and two graduate transfers.

MOVING INDOORS: The game between Eastern and Niagara, originally scheduled to be played outside at Scicluna Field, will be played inside the Indoor Practice Facility. The opening draw will take place at noon and doors will open for spectators at 11 a.m. There is no fixed seating available inside the facility, therefore fans are permitted to bring lawn chairs if they wish. A spectator area will be roped off on the east side of the facility (to the left once inside the facility doors).

SCOUTING NIAGARA: The Purple Eagles, who posted a 9-9 overall record last year that included a 5-3 mark in the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference, enter the game with a 1-0 record after defeating visiting St. Bonaventure, 13-5, Feb. 11, in both teams' season openers. Louis Garlow led the way for Niagara with six points on four goals and two assists while Andra Savage tallied four goals of her own. Both Lexi Braniecki and Riley Latray added five points as each tallied one goal and four assists. Defensively, Jordan Ray recorded three saves to earn the win in goal with Emma Mielke stopping two shots while playing the second half of the game.

FINALLY: The Eagles will play their first game, Feb. 16, an event 1,198 days in the making. The program was introduced as the newest team at Eastern Michigan, Nov. 6, 2019, with the team starting operations in 2020-21. That year, six student-athletes came to campus to begin building the program with coaches and recruits being added to build the team that takes the field against Niagara this week.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: Eastern is one of four new programs playing this year, joining teams at Clemson, Queens (N.C.), and Xavier as the newest NCAA Division I programs. Going back to the start of the 2013 season, Eastern is one of 27 new programs in the fastest growing sport in the nation and is a member of the newest conference as the MAC is set for its third year sponsoring lacrosse.
Additionally, of the 18 games the Eagles are scheduled to play this year, 11 are against teams that began their programs since 2013, including Delaware State, Marquette, and Winthrop in 2013; Michigan in 2014; Central Michigan in 2016; Butler in 2017; Kent State in 2019; Akron in 2020; Youngstown State in 2021; and fellow 2023 newcomer Xavier.

ON THE SCHEDULE: The Eagles are slated to play 16 games in their inaugural regular season schedule that features eight games each at home and on the road. Additionally, Eastern will play eight games in the Mid-American Conference with four at home and four away, including home-and-home games with both Central Michigan and Detroit Mercy. The top four teams in the league standings will earn a berth into the MAC Tournament that will be played May 4-6 at the site of the top seed. The winner of the MAC Tournament earns the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Championships.

MEET THE MAC: The MAC is comprised of seven teams, including four current MAC member institutions and three affiliate members. The MAC schools represented include Eastern, Akron, Central Michigan, and Kent State, with Detroit Mercy, Robert Morris, and Youngstown State joining as affiliate members.

PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS: The Mid-American Conference announced its preseason coaches poll for the 2023 season, Feb. 7, with the Eagles earning 13 votes and a tie for sixth place on the table with Detroit Mercy. Robert Morris, who was one of three teams to share the regular season crown last year with Central Michigan and Youngstown State, was voted first with 46 points and four first-place votes, while CMU, who captured the tournament title on their home turf, was second with 43 points and three first-place votes. The remaining teams in the rankings are Kent State in third (32 points), YSU fourth (31), and Akron fifth (18).

BUILDING SUCCESS: Head Coach Sara Tisdale is no stranger to building programs and finding success. Prior to building the Eastern program, Tisdale started the program at Augustana (Ill.) and guided her team to a 51-8 record that included a pair of Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference regular season and postseason tournament titles as well as two NCAA Division III tournament bids.
After four successful years with Augustana, Tisdale made her way to Central Michigan, where she guided the Chippewas for seven seasons, two regular season conference titles, one conference tournament title (2022 MAC), and one NCAA Division I tournament appearance (2022). All told, Tisdale sports a 105-63 career record.

THE FIRST SIX: While Eastern is embarking on its first season of play, it is not its first year of existence. Throughout the 2021-22 academic year, Riley Brannon, Claire Dillard, Tracy Grollman, Olivia Halverson, Emily Kahn, and Avery Schwab were on campus training, meeting, and attending classes as the coaching staff and roster grew into its current shape.

NAME TAGS REQUIRED: While six student-athletes are technically returning this year, the 35-player roster will feature 32 players gearing up for their first collegiate game at Eastern with three transfers on board to add leadership and experience. Of the 29 newcomers, 26 are freshmen with the trio of transfers including graduate students Julie Lindsey (Central Michigan) and Sydney Lawrence (Oregon), and junior Hannah Bargeron (Westminster (UT)).

UP NEXT: Eastern hits the road for the first time in program history when it travels to Rock Hill, S.C., to face the Winthrop University Eagles, March 3, at noon.

FOLLOW ALONG: You can follow the Eagles on your favorite social media platforms, including Twitter (@EMU_Lacrosse) and Instagram (@EMU_Lacrosse).

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Players Mentioned

Hannah Bargeron

Riley Brannon

Claire Dillard

Tracy Grollman

Olivia Halverson

Emily Kahn

Sydney Lawrence

Julie Lindsey

Avery Schwab

Eastern Michigan Athletics