Lacrosse Welcomes Detroit Mercy for Senior Day

Lacrosse vs. Detroit Mercy \| SENIOR DAY
Date	Saturday, April 29 \| 4:30 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 team will close out its inaugural season this weekend as the Eagles are set to play host to the University of Detroit Mercy in a 4:30 p.m. Mid-American Conference game at Scicluna Field Saturday, April 29. Following the game with the Titans (3-10, 2-5 MAC), the Eagles (1-14, 0-7 MAC) will honor Julie Lindsey as part of Senior Day festivities.

OPENING DRAWS:
» Eastern enters the game with UDM following a 19-4 loss at MAC-leader Central Michigan, April 26.
» Sydney Lawrence scored a pair of goals in the fourth quarter to stretch her points streak to a program-record nine games in a row. During her current streak, she has tallied 23 goals and eight assists for 31 total points.
» The Alderman Sisters tallied back-to-back goals for the Eagles in the first quarter at CMU with Abby Alderman scoring at 2:51 on an assist from Gina Jaffurs before Amber Alderman found the back of the net at 1:30 to make it a 5-2 game.
» Giuliana Ditsky posted 11 saves in goal, which stands as the third-most in a single game for Eastern. She has twice recorded 12 stops earlier this season.
» Savannah Berner earned her first collegiate start at CMU to become the 22nd different Eagle to start at least one game in 2023. Of those 22 starters, Berner is the 16th 'true' freshman to earn a starting position this year.
» Gina Jaffurs was credited with the lone assist at CMU as the freshman helped on Ab. Alderman's goal. With the helper, Jaffurs is one of six Eagles to record at least five assists this year.
» The game with the Titans will mark the final game of the Eagles' inaugural season.

THANK YOU, JULIE: Saturday's game will not only be the season finale for the Eagles, but it will also be the final game for Julie Lindsey, who the team will honor following the game with Senior Day festivities. Lindsey came to Eastern following three years at Central Michigan where she played for Sara Tisdale before following her coach to EMU for its inaugural season. Lindsey, a member of CMU's MAC Championship team in 2022 and a participant in the NCAA tournament, appeared in 53 games in her collegiate career and earned a starting position in 20 games, including 11 of the 12 she has played this year. For her career, Lindsey has tallied four points on three goals and one assist while collecting 50 draw controls and 35 ground balls while causing 19 turnovers. A three-time conference all-academic selection, Lindsey plans to return to her hometown of Louisville, Ky., to complete her degree in anthropology following the season.

BARK AT THE PARK: Saturday will be Bark at the Park and all fans are encouraged to bring their dogs to Scicluna Field! All four-legged fans in attendance can bring their human to the marketing table to receive a free bandana and an EMU lacrosse poster that fans can have autographed following the game. For the game, Eastern is welcoming the Buster Foundation (https://www.busterdogs.com) and fans can take part in an adoption clinic by viewing and learning more about the adoptable pets with the organization. Fans can also support the foundation beyond just adopting a dog. They can also visit their donation page or their Amazon wish list.

QUICK REVIEW • CENTRAL MICHIGAN: CMU opened the game, April 26, with a 5-0 lead before the Green and White got on the board as Gina Jaffurs found Abby Alderman, who scored with 2:51 on the clock, just before her twin sister Amber Alderman connected on a shot to cut the CMU lead to three after the first quarter. The second saw six unanswered Chippewas goals to put Central up, 11-2, after 30 minutes of play. The home Chips went up, 17-2, following a third period that saw Giuliana Ditsky make four saves on 10 shots on goal. From there, both teams advanced their score by two each as Sydney Lawrence netted a goal at the 14:36 mark off a free-position attempt after getting fouled following a won draw control by Ab. Alderman to open the period. She scored again with 3:17 left in the game off another free-po for the senior's 30th season goal. The Eagles would then surrender the Chippewas 19th goal of the night to fall, 19-4.

SCOUTING DETROIT MERCY: The Titans enter the game with a 3-10 overall record and stand 2-5 in Mid-American Conference play with their last victory coming April 12, in an 11-10 road win at Akron. UDM has a balanced scoring attack with five players having scored at least 13 goals with Cat Kopchia leading the way with her team-best 22. Kopchia and Annie Gilbert lead the way with 20 points each as all five top scorers on the roster each have 20+ points to their credit as well. Defensively, three players have seen time in front of the cage with Meredith Leavell seeing the most action as the primary starter. Leavell has saved 135 shots and allowed 159 goals for a 45.9 save percentage and a 14.30 goals-against average this year.

IN THE SERIES • UDM: The Titans lead the all-time series, 1-0, after taking a 17-7 decision in Detroit, April 1, in the Eagles' inaugural MAC contest. In the game, Eastern kept things close, including a 3-3 tie at the end of the first and trailed, 9-6, heading into the fourth, before a six-goal run by the Titans put the contest out of reach. Individually, Mackenzie Blackwell scored a hat trick with three goals while Edie Prager notched a pair as well. Abby Alderman posted a pair of assists for the multiple assist MAC game for the Eagles in program history.

WITH A WIN...: Eastern will close its inaugural season with Saturday's game against the Titans as both teams have been eliminated from contention for the 2023 MAC Tournament. A win for the Eagles would not only close the season on a high note, it would also give the program its first league victory and its first win over a rival.

START ME UP: In the game at Central Michigan, April 26, Savannah Berner was named to the starting lineup, marking the first start of her collegiate career and just her second appearance with the Eagles this year. She became the 22nd different player to earn at least one start of the Eagles this year and the 16th "true" freshman as well.

SYD SCORING: During the fourth quarter at CMU, April 26, Sydney Lawrence tallied both of her goals to bring her season total to 30. In the 15 games she has played in 2023, Lawrence has scored multiple goals eight times, including the last two games and in six of the last eight. Both of her goals came on free-position shots, marking the third time this season she scored multiple goals from the eight-meter fan, which saw her score two at Winthrop, March 3, before setting a school record with a free-po hat trick at Butler, March 26.

SYD STREAKING: With two goals against the Chippewas, April 26, Sydney Lawrence pushed her points streak to nine games in a row, the longest in program history. Over those nine games, which began March 24 in a home game with Marquette, Lawrence has scored 23 of her 30 goals with six multiple-goal games, three of which were hat tricks. She also has added eight assists during the nine-game stretch for a total of 31 points which, by itself, would rank second on the team for the entire season.

DOUBLED UP: Sydney Lawrence has done it all for the Eagles this year and, with her two free-position goals at Central Michigan, April 26, she now has reached double figures in most statistical categories for the Eagles. Through 15 games, Lawrence has 30 goals, 11 assists, 41 points, 86 shots, 10 free-po goals, 28 ground balls, 28 caused turnovers, and 27 draw controls.

IRON WOMEN: Heading into the final game of the season, two Eagles have a chance to not only play in, but start all 16 games on the schedule in 2023. So far, both Mackenzie Blackwell and Annika Wozney have started all 15 games for the Eagles this year. Additionally, a handful of players are in line to have played in all 16 games as well.

FANTASTIC FROSH: Heading into the final game of the season, freshman Mackenzie Blackwell is among the top rookies in the league in draw controls and goals scored. Through 15 games, Blackwell's 35 goals and 2.33 goals per game average rank seventh on the MAC rankings list, making her the only freshman on the chart. Her 4.93 draw controls are the best among rookies as well and ranks second overall in the MAC.

UP NEXT: The 2023 season comes to a close with the game against Detroit Mercy, April 29. Stay up to date on all things EMU lacrosse at EMUEagles.com and on the team's social channels, including Twitter (@emu_lacrosse) and Instagram (@emu_lacrosse).

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Players Mentioned

Abby Alderman

Amber Alderman

Savannah Berner

Mackenzie Blackwell

Giuliana Ditsky

Gina Jaffurs

Sydney Lawrence

Julie Lindsey

Annika Wozney

Eastern Michigan Athletics