Eastern Michigan Athletics
Sunday, March 30
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
12 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Central Michigan
Photo by: Walt Middleton Photography
Lacrosse Faces Rival CMU on the Road Sunday
3/27/2025 4:12:00 PM | Lacrosse
Eastern looking for first win against Chippewas
| GAME #10 | Lacrosse at Central Michigan | |
| Date | Sunday, March 30 | 12 p.m. |
| Venue | CMU Soccer/Lacrosse Complex | Mount Pleasant, Mich. |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes |
| Live | Watch (CMUChippewas.com) | Live Statistics |
| Social Media | Instagram: @emu_Lacrosse | Twitter: @EMU_Lacrosse |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – With its first conference win in hand following a strong all-around home performance, the Eastern Michigan University lacrosse team will hit the road in search of its first Mid-American Conference victory away from home as the Eagles will venture to Mount Pleasant, Mich., Sunday, March 30, to face rival Central Michigan University. The Eagles (5-4, 1-1 MAC) and Chippewas (1-8, 0-2 MAC) will meet inside the CMU Soccer/Lacrosse Complex for a noon match up as the Eagles will try to down the Chippewas for the first time in four meetings.
OPENING DRAWS
» The Eagles are 5-4 overall and 1-1 in MAC play following their 19-6 home win over Youngstown State (March 23), a win that gave EMU its first MAC win of the year and snapped a two-game losing streak overall.
» Through two weeks of play, the Eagles' 1-1 record has them tied with Kent State for fourth in the MAC standings. Akron leads the way at 2-0 while both Detroit Mercy and Robert Morris are 1-0.
» The Eagles scored 19 goals against the Penguins, tying the record for goals in a single game set earlier in the year in a 19-10 win at Presbyterian (Feb. 25). The 13-point margin of victory is the largest in program history.
» Eastern allowed just six goals, the fewest in a MAC game in program history and just the second time allowing single-digit goal totals in a league contest. EMU posted a shutout in the fourth quarter against YSU, the seventh such quarter recorded this season.
» EMU held the Penguins to one goal in the second half, marking the third time this season and the second week in a row against a MAC foe it had accomplished the feat. The Eagles held Robert Morris to one goal in the opening half of play in the MAC opener (March 16).
» Katheryn Wilson was the top performer for the Eagles on offense as she tallied eight points on six goals and two assists, all of which were career highs. Wilson, who recorded two free-position goals, tied for the most goals and most points tallied by a MAC player in a game this season with her performance.
» For her efforts, Katheryn Wilson was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week. The award is the first of the freshman's career and the fourth earned this year by an Eagle as Mackenzie Blackwell earned the offensive award March 4 and Maddie Porter took the goalkeeper award twice (March 4 and March 11).
» Eastern won the draw control battle with Youngstown State (March 23), 23-5, marking the third-largest margin in program history and the largest at home. The record stands at +19 as EMU out-drew Detroit Mercy, 22-3, April 7, 2024, and Duquesne, 26-7, Feb. 15, 2024.
» Two players recorded a majority of the draw controls with freshman Emerson Henry collecting a career-high 12 and Abby Alderman collected six to gather 18-of-23 draw controls for the Eagles. Henry, who tied her previous career high with nine in the first half, tied for the second-most draw control wins in program history.
» Early in the fourth quarter against YSU, the Eagles were down a player. That didn't stop Payton Bloedow, who collected a ground ball in the defensive end and went coast-to-coast to score the first woman-down goal in a MAC game for the Eagles in program history. It was her second of the year, making her the only player in EMU history with multiple woman-down goals in a career.
» Several early-season wins came with milestones as the 19-10 win at Presbyterian (Feb. 25) was the first for Maddie Dugan as head coach at EMU and her first road win with the Eagles. The win at home over Canisius (March 1) marked her first home victory and the first time in program history the Eagles had won at the EMU Indoor Practice Facility (0-4 entering the game).
» Maddie Dugan is in her first season guiding the Eagles. The 2024 MAC Coach of the Year at Detroit Mercy, Dugan took a Titans team that was selected to finish seventh in the standings to the MAC Tournament championship game. She is in her seventh year as a collegiate head coach.
KNOW THE FOE: CENTRAL MICHIGAN
The Chippewas enter the weekend with a 1-8 overall record and an 0-2 mark in MAC play following their 9-7 loss at Akron, March 23. Prior to their game with the Zips, the Chippewas had played three consecutive one-goal games, including a 12-11 overtime loss at Niagara (March 9), a 14-13 win at Canisius (March 12), and a 10-9 overtime loss at home to Kent State (March 16).
FAMILIAR FOES
Through the first nine games of the season, the Eagles and Chippewas have played the same opponent in three games with three more of CMU's early season opponents set to appear on the EMU slate later this season. Both teams produced the same 1-2 record against the three foes with EMU losing at Notre Dame (17-7) and at Cincinnati (13-9) before defeating Canisius at home (12-10) while CMU fell at Notre Dame (20-7), home to Cincinnati (13-6), and at Canisius (14-13). The Chippewas have already played future EMU opponents Marquette (L, 17-5, at home), Michigan (L, 19-5, away), and Oregon (L, 14-3, away).
IN THE SERIES: EAGLES vs. CHIPPEWAS
EMU holds a 0-3 record in its series with Central Michigan and stands 0-1 when playing in Mount Pleasant, including a 19-4 loss, April 26, 2023. The two teams met in Ypsilanti in each of the past two years with the Chippewas winning 17-11, April 5, 2023, in the first meeting before claiming a 16-7 decision, April 14, 2024.
QUICK RECAP: MAC HOME OPENER
Katheryn Wilson exploded for a career day with eight points on six goals and two assists as the freshman led the Eagles to a 19-6 win over Youngstown State at home (March 23) for the team's first MAC win of the year. Emerson Henry tallied a career-high 12 draw controls as the Eagles won the category, 23-5, while Maddie Porter was stout in the cage as she allowed just six goals, the fewest to a MAC foe, while making eight saves for the win.
GETTING TO THE POINT(S)
Katheryn Wilson had a game to remember as she scored the same number of goals as the Youngstown State team and finished with eight points in the Eagles' 19-6 home win (March 23). Wilson, who entered the game with career-bests of four goals (twice), two assists, and six points, posted six goals, two helpers, and eight points to not only rewrite her career-high ledger, but also post the most goals and most points by a MAC player this season. Wilson added two free-position goals in the game as well.
AND THE AWARD GOES TO...
Katheryn Wilson was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week following her offensive showing against the Penguins. Wilson, who recorded her fourth hat trick of the season, finished the game with six goals, two assists, eight points, nine shots on goal, and two free-position goals, all of which rank among the top three in EMU single-game history. The honor from the MAC is her first and the fourth earned by the Eagles in 2025.
FEELING HONORED
The Eagles have collected four weekly awards from the conference with two coming on offense and two on defense. Katheryn Wilson (March 25) and Mackenzie Blackwell (March 4) have been named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week this season while Maddie Porter (March 4 and March 11) has twice been named the MAC Goalkeeper of the Week.
THE GREAT GOAL-SPREE
The 19-6 win over Youngstown State (March 23) saw the Eagles' offense tie the program record for goals in a game after scoring the same total in a 19-10 road win at Presbyterian (Feb. 25). The Eagles, whose record was 18 goals in their 18-11 win at YSU last year (April 21, 2024), have scored 16+ goals in three games this season, tying the single-season record with the 2024 squad.
BIG DIFFERENCE
Not only did the Eagles defeat the Penguins, 19-6, they posted the largest margin of victory in program history. The 13-goal difference surpassed the 12-goal margin EMU tallied in its 18-6 road win at Delaware State, Feb. 28, 2024. The margin also nearly doubled the previous record for a MAC game as the previous best was seven in EMU's 18-11 win at YSU last year.
ROOKIE SCORING
Freshman Stella Burke not only tallied her first collegiate goal in the game with Youngstown State (March 23), but she also scored twice for her first multiple-point game as well. She is the fourth freshman to record her first career goal this season following Katheryn Wilson (four) and Emerson Henry (one) against San Diego State (Feb. 9) and Sydney Howard (one) at Presbyterian (Feb. 25).
LIMBO CONTEST
The game with Youngstown State (March 23) was not all about offense as the Eagles limited the Penguins to six goals, the lowest permitted in a MAC contest in program history and the second-lowest allowed to any opponent this season behind the four allowed to Butler (March 7) in EMU's 10-4 road win. In all games played, the previous record was five goals allowed in a 16-5 win at Howard, Feb. 25, 2024, while the previous low for a MAC opponent was nine in Eastern's 12-9 win at Detroit Mercy (April 7, 2024) last season.
PITCHING SHUTOUTS
A big part of the record performance was the team's play in the second half as the Penguins scored just one goal, which came with 13:09 to play in the third. The Eagles, who shut out YSU in the final 28:09 of the game, have shut out an opponent in a single quarter seven times this year and have done so in back-to-back weeks after holding Robert Morris scoreless in the first quarter (March 16). All told, the seven shutout quarters are the most in a single season for the program after posting five in 2024 and none in 2023, the team's inaugural season.
ONE-DERFUL PLAY
For the second consecutive game and third time this season, the Eagles held an opponent to a record-low one goal in a single half of play as Youngstown State scored once in the second half (March 23). The defensive performance followed a similar showing in the first half at Robert Morris (March 16) when the Eagles allowed just one goal in the second quarter. The single goal allowed to the Penguins marked the fourth time in program history and the third time this season the Eagles have limited their opponent to a single goal in one half of play with the first coming at Butler (March 7) with one goal allowed in the second half. The first came just over one year earlier when the Eagles held Butler to one goal in the opening half of the game in Ypsilanti (March 15, 2024).
AN ARTIST LOVES TO DRAW (CONTROL)
Emerson Henry had a career day in the draw circle as the freshman recorded 12 wins to lead the Eagles to 23 draw controls on the day. All told, the Eagles won the category, 23-5, to post an 18-win difference over Youngstown State (March 23), the third-highest difference in program history. The record stands at +19 as the Eagles outdrew both Detroit Mercy (April 7, 2024), 22-3, and Duquesne (Feb. 15, 2024), 26-7, with both games played on the road.
ENTER THE CIRCLE
When the Eagles and Chippewas meet this weekend, it will mark a meeting of the top two draw controllers in the MAC as Emerson Henry (6.11) holds a slight lead of CMU's Jozy Allen (5.90). Allen posted 15 wins against Canisius (March 12) with Henry's 12 against Youngstown State (March 23) standing as the second-most by a MAC player this year. Overall, Allen leads the league with 59 draw controls while Henry is second with 55.
SAVES THE DATES
The Eagles' next three games will provide an interesting trio of goalkeeper match ups as the four of the top 14 players based on saves per game average will share the field. EMU's Maddie Porter currently ranks eighth nationally at 10.78 with the Eagles set to face CMU's Alex Martel, who is tied for second with 12.00 per game. On April 3, the Eagles will travel to face No. 10 Michigan, who features No. 4 Erin O'Grady (10.22 per game). Then, Sunday, April 6 EMU will play host to Detroit Mercy and Meredith Leavell, who is fourth nationally (11.78).
GET DOWN ON IT
Early in the fourth quarter against Youngstown State (March 23), the Eagles were whistled for a yellow card offense and were playing one woman down. During the ensuing action, Payton Bloedow made collected a ground ball and raced to the opposite end of the Scicluna Field turf where she fired a shot into the back of the net to record the first woman-down goal against a MAC foe in program history. Bloedow, who also scored a woman-down goal in the fourth quarter at Presbyterian (Feb. 25), is the program's all-time leader with two.
HAPPY HELPER
Avery Schwab assisted on one goal against YSU (March 23) to bring her career total to 40 and her season total to a team-leading 10. The school record holder for career assists and the first player to record 40 helpers in a career, Schwab has now handed out double-digit assists in all three seasons she has played for Eastern, becoming the first player to accomplish the feat.
KEEPER 100
Maddie Porter is approaching the century mark in a pair of statistical categories and could get there in the game at Central Michigan this week. For the season, Porter has tallied 97 saves, leaving three away from 100 for the second consecutive year after posting a program record 132 in 2024. She also has scooped 98 career ground balls, a school-record by more than 30 already, leaving her two away from becoming the first player in program history to reach 100.
TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADERS!
Through games played March 23, the Eagles lead the MAC in four team and five individual categories. As a team, the Eagles hold the top spot in woman-down goals per game (0.22), saves percentage (.519), draw controls per game (18.64), and fewest fouls committed per game (9.67). Individually, Mackenzie Blackwell tops the charts in goals (3.33), points (3.78), and shots per game (7.89); Maddie Porter is the league leader in save percentage (.519); and Emerson Henry leads in draw controls per game (6.11).
NATIONALLY KNOWN • TEAM
Eastern ranks among the top 50 in NCAA Division I statistics in six categories with its highest ranking coming in saves percentage at No. 8 (.519). The Eagles also rank No. 14 in fewest fouls committed (9.67), 35th in goals against average (10.11), 39th in draw controls per game (18.64), 41st in shot percentage (.444), and 44th in ground balls (16.89).
NATIONALLY KNOWN • INDIVIDUAL
On a national level, four Eagles hold top 50 rankings in eight categories with Maddie Porter leading the way in four. Porter is currently second in ground balls (3.89), ninth in saves per game (10.78), 11th in save percentage (.519), and 33rd in goals against average (10.15). Mackenzie Blackwell ranks 17th in shots (7.89) and 27th in goals (3.33); Katheryn Wilson stands 18th in free-position shot percentage (.667); and Emerson Henry is 34th in draw controls (6.11).
STAYING ACTIVE
In addition to the season statistics, two Eagles rank among the top 50 in career statistics among active players this season. Mackenzie Blackwell is currently ranked 15th in goals per game at 2.88 and 22nd in draw controls per game with 4.95. Maddie Porter currently ranks 31st with 98 career ground balls and, once she reaches 100, will be eligible for the per-game category as well.
ALL SHE DOES IS WIN (THE GAME)
Eastern has won four games this year and twice, the game-winning goal has gone to Caitlyn Beahm with the scores coming in back-to-back games. She first secured the win with her lone goal at home against Canisius (March 1), which helped the Eagles to a 12-10 victory. One game later, at Butler (March 7), she scored the fifth goal of the contest in EMU's 10-4 win. Her two game-winners rank second on the single-season list behind Mackenzie Blackwell's four tallied last year while her three career winners ranks behind only the four scored by Blackwell.
FEEL FREE TO POSITION THE BALL IN THE GOAL
In the past three games, Mackenzie Blackwell scored four goals on free-position shots, including one at Robert Morris (March 16), to bring her career total to 21. She now holds the program record for free-position goals, breaking the tie she held with Sydney Lawrence (2023-24). As it stands, Blackwell has netted six free-position goals in 2025, leaving her two away from tying her career best of eight that she scored last year, a total that ranks third on the single-season chart behind the 10 scored in both 2023 and 2024 by Lawrence.
WEARING MANY HATS
With three goals at Robert Morris (March 16), Mackenzie Blackwell recorded the 14th hat trick of the season for the Eagles. Along with her seven, Blackwell is joined on the list by Katheryn Wilson, who has three, and one each from Payton Bloedow, Kyleigh Dill, Emerson Henry, and Tracy Grollman.
MORE THAN HATS
Mackenzie Blackwell has played in all 40 games in program history and has tallied a school record 116 goals, 54 more than any other EMU player. Through the game at Robert Morris (March 16), Blackwell has recorded a hat trick in 7-of-8 games played in 2025 and 23-of-40 career games (57.5 percent). Additionally, she has scored multiple goals in 31-of-40 games (77.5 percent) while scoring at least one goal in 35-of-40 games (87.5 percent).
ROAD WARRIORS
After not winning one game on the road in 2023 (0-8), the Eagles went 5-4 away from Ypsilanti last year. After dropping its first two games of 2024 (21-6 at No. 7 Notre Dame and 16-13 at Duquesne), the Eagles won two consecutive away games, including a 16-5 decision at Howard for the program's first road victory and an 18-6 score at Delaware State. The wins at Presbyterian and Gardner-Webb marked the second time the Eagles have won back-to-back road games in program history. Additionally, the win at Butler (March 7) gave EMU its third road win of the year, leaving it two away from tying the program record with three games to play.
AHOY, CAPTAINS!
Four Eagles were selected as team captains for the 2025 season. The captains include sophomores Mackenzie Blackwell, Samantha Borgert, Kelsea Dague, and Annika Wozney.
ON THE HORIZON
The Eagles will step out of league play for their next game as they travel down the street to Ann Arbor for a meeting with No. 10 University of Michigan. The Eagles and Wolverines will meet inside U-M Lacrosse Stadium for a 5 p.m. matchup of Washtenaw County teams with the game being streamed live on BTN+.
FOLLOW US
For all things EMU Lacrosse, be sure to check out the team's social media accounts, including EMU_Lacrosse on X (formerly Twitter) and EMU_Lacrosse on Instagram.
Players Mentioned
M
/ Lacrosse
A
/ Lacrosse
M
/ Lacrosse
D
/ Lacrosse
A
/ Lacrosse
M
/ Lacrosse
A
/ Lacrosse
A
/ Lacrosse
M
/ Lacrosse
M
/ Lacrosse
M
/ Lacrosse
G
/ Lacrosse
A
/ Lacrosse
M
/ Lacrosse
D
/ LacrosseLacrosse Updates EMU's Championship Trophy
Friday, May 02
Lacrosse Falls to Marquette on Senior Day
Friday, April 25
EMU Defeats Akron, 16-12, to Punch Ticket to MAC Tournament
Sunday, April 20
Ainsley McLain Talks about Pediatric Cancer
Tuesday, April 08