Lacrosse Plays Host to Akron Saturday

Lacrosse vs. Akron
Date	Saturday, April 22 \| 12 p.m.
Venue	Scicluna Field \| Ypsilanti, Mich.
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF) \| Media Guide (PDF) \| Game Program
Live Stats	Fan Stats
Social Media	Instagram: @emu_Lacrosse \| Twitter: @EMU_Lacrosse

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University lacrosse program returns to action at home on Scicluna Field Saturday, April 22, when the Eagles play host to the Zips of the University of Akron starting at noon. The game will serve as the team's 'Play for Patrick' game in conjunction with the Patrick Schoonover Foundation, as well as Special Olympics Day at Scicluna Field.
Saturday's contest will see one team earn its first conference victory of the season as the Eagles (1-12, 0-5 MAC) are coming off a tough, 19-7, road setback at Robert Morris University, April 19, and the Zips (1-14, 0-6 MAC) falling to Kent State University, 19-6, the same day. Including Saturday's game, the Green and White have three more opportunities to earn a league win, while this weekend's contest deems the Zips' penultimate match of the season.

OPENING DRAWS:
» Tracy Grollman scored four of EMU's seven goals against the Colonials to record her second career hat trick and surpass her previous scoring best of three goals at home against St. Bonaventure, March 14. She is only the third Eastern player this year to record multiple hat tricks.
» Tracy Grollman also added career highs in points with five (four goals and one assist) against RMU, surpassing the three points she had tallied three times previously, while also tying her career high with seven shots.
» With their goals, Mackenzie Blackwell and Sydney Lawrence extended their point-scoring streak to seven games in a row while Tracy Grollman brought hers to four in a row.
» Amber Alderman's two assists at Robert Morris marks her first multiple assist game. She previously had dished out one assist in four different games.
» Julie Lindsey tied for the team high in draw controls with Mackenzie Blackwell as both recorded four at RMU. She entered the game with five total draw controls won this year with only one game recording multiple wins (2 vs. St. Bonaventure).
» Skylar Hilmer doubled her career total in caused turnovers as she tied for the team-high with two caused turnovers against the RMU offense. She previously had recorded one each in two games.
» As a team, the Eagles caused eight turnovers against the Colonials, which ranks as the fourth-highest total in a single game this year and the second-highest against a MAC foe.
» Both Sydney Lawrence and Mackenzie Blackwell lead the league in their respective statistical categories with Lawrence's 1.77 caused turnovers per game ranking 35th nationally, while Blackwell's 5.08 draw controls per game rank 41st in the nation.

PLAY FOR PATRICK: Saturday's contest has been donned the teams "Play for Patrick" game in conjunction with the Patrick Schoonover Foundation, as well as Special Olympics Day at Scicluna Field. Patrick Schoonover was a youth hockey player in Minnesota who collapsed suddenly while playing in a hockey game and was unable to be revived on the ice by local paramedics. It was discovered that the cause of his death was numerous heart defects that had gone undetected during medical exams and physicals.
    Their organization, the Patrick Schoonover Foundation, hopes to reduce and eliminate as many sudden deaths as they can by placing an emphasis on CPR training and by helping with screenings to make sure heart conditions can be found. Their organization and cause took on extra importance in light of the sudden collapse of Demar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills (NFL) this past season.
    The lacrosse team and staff took part in a CPR Certification Class this past year and learned about the action steps that are required in the case of a sudden collapse during a sporting event or everyday life. The team will wear special 'Play for Patrick' warm-ups on game day to champion the Schoonover's cause and will be playing the game in Patrick's memory.

QUICK REVIEW • ROBERT MORRIS: After the hosts jumped out to a 1-0 lead, Tracy Grollman found Mackenzie Blackwell near the top of the crease with Blackwell firing a shot past the keeper to tie things up before the Colonials scored with four minutes remaining to make it a 2-1 score at the end of the first quarter. The hosts made their move in the second stanza as RMU opened the quarter by scoring the first six goals to build an 8-1 lead before Blackwell tallied her second, this time on a pass from Amber Alderman, to make it 8-2 at the break following the goal with eight seconds remaining before the break.
    Following the halftime intermission, RMU scored three more goals for an 11-2 lead before Sydney Lawrence scored with the advantage with 4:40 remaining in the third. After two more goals from the hosts, Grollman took over and closed the third with her first of the day as Am. Alderman assisted on the goal at 0:51.
    In the final quarter, Grollman continued to have the hot hand as she scored back-to-back goals with the first at 13:56 and the second at 12:29 to complete just her second career hat trick and cut the deficit to 13-6. After a goal from RMU, Grollman snagged her fourth of the game with 11:03 to play, as she set a record for most goals scored by a single EMU player in a row at four. From there, however, the Colonials scored the final five goals of the game to bring about the 19-7 final score.

SCOUTING AKRON: The Zips enter the game with a 1-14 record and stand 0-6 in the Mid-American Conference. The team's lone win of the season came in its season-opener, Feb. 17, against Howard University in a 20-4 decision. Individually, Alexis Kiefer leads the team in almost every category scoring 26 goals, and earning four assists, 30 points, 21 ground balls, and 55 won draw controls. The Zips have had two goalkeepers make appearances in the cage over the season with Kylan Rhude appearing in 11 games. She has saved 64 shots and allowed 94 goals for a 40.5 save percentage and a 12.25 goals-against average.

TRACY THE TRICKSTER: Tracy Grollman scored four goals at Robert Morris, April 19, to record her second career hat trick and surpass her previous scoring best of three goals set at home against St. Bonaventure, March 14. She is only the third Eastern player this year to record multiple hat tricks.
    Additionally, Grollman added career highs in points with five (four goals and one assist), surpassing the three points she had tallied three times previously, while also tying her career high with seven shots.

"BRO" THAT'S FOUR IN A ROW: Tracy Grollman's four consecutive goals against the Colonials, April 19, are the most for an Eagle, surpassing the three consecutive goals scored by Sydney Lawrence at Butler, March 26.

KEEPING THE STREAK: With their goals against RMU, April 19, Mackenzie Blackwell and Sydney Lawrence extended their point-scoring streak to seven games in a row while Tracy Grollman brought hers to four in a row. Blackwell has scored at least two goals in each of those seven games for 23 total goals over that time. She continues to lead the team in goals with 32. The closest Eagle to Blackwell's mark is Sydney Lawrence who has recorded 26 so far this season.

BIG TIME HELPER: Amber Alderman's two assists in the game against Robert Morris, April 19 marked her first multiple assist game. She previously had dished out one assist in four different games.

LINDSEY LAND: Julie Lindsey tied for the team high in draw controls with Mackenzie Blackwell as both recorded four in the setback, April 19. She entered the game with five total draw controls won this year with only one game recording multiple wins (two vs. St. Bonaventure).

REACH FOR THE SKY: Skylar Hilmer doubled her career total in caused turnovers as she tied for the team-high with two caused turnovers over the Colonials offense. She previously had recorded one each in two home games: Delaware State University, March 7, and Kent State, April 12.

CAUSING HAVOC: As a team, the Eagles caused eight turnovers in the game against RMU, April 19, which ranks as the fourth-highest total in a single game this year and the second-highest against a MAC foe. The team's 18 caused turnovers over Delaware State, March 7, ranks as the team's highest total while the 12 against Kent State, April 12, ranks as the highest against a MAC member.

CONSISTENT CONTRIBUTORS: With their points against Robert Morris, April 19, Mackenzie Blackwell, Tracy Grollman, and Sydney Lawrence have each recorded at least one point in 11 of the team's 13 games played this year.

LEADING THE LEAGUE: Both Sydney Lawrence and Mackenzie Blackwell lead the league in their respective statistical categories with Lawrence's 1.77 caused turnovers per game ranking 35th nationally, while Blackwell's 5.08 draw controls per game rank 41st in the nation.

NEXT BEST: The EMU lacrosse team currently holds the No. 2 position in the MAC rankings in two statistical categories. With a 43.7 free-position percentage, the Green and White rank second in the league and 62nd nationally. Its 7.62 caused turnovers per game also ranks second in the MAC, and 68th in the nation.

UP NEXT: The EMU lacrosse team will wrap up its 2023 away schedule with a final meeting against the Chippewas of Central Michigan University, Wednesday, April 26 in Mount. Pleasant, Mich. The game is slated for a 7 p.m. opening draw.

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Players Mentioned

Amber Alderman

Mackenzie Blackwell

Tracy Grollman

Skylar Hilmer

Sydney Lawrence

Julie Lindsey

Eastern Michigan Athletics