Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, March 7
Indianapolis, Ind.
3 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Butler
Lacrosse Faces Road Games at Butler & Cincinnati
3/5/2025 2:54:00 PM | Lacrosse
Eastern looking to build upon its first three-game winning streak
| Game #6: at BUTLER | |
| Date | Friday, March 7 | 3 p.m |
| Venue | Varsity Field | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes |
| Live | Watch (FloSports $) | Live Stats |
| @EMU_Lacrosse | @EMUAthletics | |
| Game #7: at CINCINNATI | |
| Date | Sunday, March 9 | 12 p.m |
| Venue | Nippert Stadium | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes |
| Live | Watch (ESPN+) | Live Stats |
| @EMU_Lacrosse | @EMUAthletics | |
Y
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University lacrosse team, winners of three consecutive games for the first time in program history, will look to build upon its winning ways as the Eagles will hit the road for a pair of games this weekend, including trips to face Butler University, March 7, and the University of Cincinnati, March 9. The Eagles (3-2) will first take on the Bulldogs (0-4) at Varsity Field in Indianapolis, Ind., in a 3 p.m. contest that will be streamed live on FloSports. The weekend ends inside Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, with a 12 p.m. game on ESPN+ with the Bearcats (4-3).
OPENING DRAWS
» The Eagles went 3-0 last week to bring their record to 3-2 on the year.
» The win at Presbyterian (Feb. 25) to open the week was not only the first of the season for the Eagles but also stands as the first for Maddie Dugan as the program's head coach.
» With the 16-6 win at Gardner-Webb (Feb. 27) and the 12-10 home win over Canisius (March 1), the Eagles extended their winning streak to three, marking the first time in program history the team has won three in a row.
» The win at home over Canisius marked the first time in program history the Eagles had won at the EMU Indoor Practice Facility (0-4 entering the game).
» Two Eagles earned recognition from the conference for their play last week as Mackenzie Blackwell was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week and Maddie Porter was named MAC Goalkeeper of the Week.
» Mackenzie Blackwell, who scored her 100th career goal at Gardner-Webb, is one draw control from another milestone as she has recorded a team-record 199 through the game with Canisius.
» Maddie Porter also is approaching a milestone as she needs nine saves to reach 200 for her career (at 191).
» Emerson Henry recorded her first career hat trick as she scored three in the win over Canisius (March 1). She is the fifth different EMU player to record at least one hat trick this year, joining Mackenzie Blackwell (four), Katheryn Wilson (three), Payton Bloedow (one), and Kyleigh Dill (one).
» Four Eagles hold top 50 national rankings according to the March 4 NCAA statistical update. Maddie Porter ranks second in ground balls (4.6), seventh in saves per game (11.8) and 15th in save percentage (.509) while Mackenzie Blackwell is 22nd in goals per game (3.6) and Emerson Henry is 43rd in draw controls (5.4).
» 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.
FEELING HONORED
Two Eagles earned weekly awards from the conference earlier this week (March 4) with Mackenzie Blackwell being named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week and Maddie Porter the MAC Goalkeeper of the Week. Blackwell led the Eagles 11 goals, including her 100th career goal, the first to do so in program history, and added eight ground balls, 12 draw controls, and one caused turnover on the week. She opened play with four goals at Presbyterian to bring her career total to 99 before scoring five at Gardner-Webb to crack the century mark. She finished the week with two goals against Canisius to help EMU to its third consecutive win.
Porter made 30 saves and saved more than half the shots she faced as she helped the Eagles to three wins and the program's first three-game winning streak in program history. Porter opened the week with 14 saves against Presbyterian while adding three ground balls before recording seven saves, four ground balls, and once caused turnover while limiting Gardner-Webb to five goals in a 16-6 win, the second-fewest goals allowed in a game in program history. In the finale, she recorded nine saves in the 12-10 win over Canisius, including three each in the third and fourth quarters to close out the win.
THE THREE-L OF VICTORY
The Eagles have won three consecutive games for the first time in program history with all three victories earned last week. The Eagles opened the week with a 19-10 victory at Presbyterian, Feb. 25, before posting a 16-6 win at Gardner-Webb two days later (Feb. 27). The week ended at home with a 12-10 win over Canisius (March 1). Prior to the week, EMU had twice posted two-game winning streaks but had not posted three in a row until now.
KNOW THE FOE: BUTLER
The Bulldogs enter the game with a 0-4 record following their 11-5 road loss at Akron (March 2). Set to face their third MAC foe in a row (lost, 15-10, at Youngstown State, Feb. 28), the Bulldogs are led by Elisa Latham, who has tallied nine points on seven goals and two assists, and Maggie Lewis, who has scored five goals. In goal, Alyssa Lentz holds a 15.30 goals-against average while recorded 9.75 saves per game.
IN THE SERIES: EAGLES vs. BULLDOGS
The Eagles and Bulldogs have split the previous two meetings with the home team winning each contest. Butler took a close 14-13 home win, March 26, 2023, in EMU's inaugural season before the Eagles answered with a 15-8 home last year (March 15, 2024).
KNOW THE FOE: CINCINNATI
The Bearcats enter the weekend with a 4-3 record and are 2-2 at home, including an 18-11 win over local rival Xavier (Feb. 26). Winners of three in a row, including a 13-6 road win at Central Michigan in their last outing, the Bearcats will travel to face No. 21 Ohio State, March 7. Individually, two Bearcats have scored over 20 goals, including Lauren Ottensmeyer (29) and Camryn Callaghan (20) as the duo leads the way with 34 and 26 points, respectively. In goal, Hailey Darko carries a 9.46 goals-against average while averaging 5.7 saves per game.
IN THE SERIES: EAGLES vs. BEARCATS
The game between Eastern Michigan and Cincinnati will be the first in the series.
QUICK RECAP: CANISIUS
For the first time in program history, EMU has won three consecutive games as the Eagles downed visiting Canisius, 12-10, Saturday morning, March 1, inside the EMU Indoor Practice Facility in Ypsilanti. The Eagles (3-2) received goals from seven different players, including the first career hat trick for Emerson Henry, to defeat the Golden Griffins (1-4).
After the game was tied a 4-4 following the first quarter, the Eagles used a 3-0 second to take a 7-4 halftime lead. A back-and-forth third quarter saw the Eagles lead, 10-9, through three before goals from Caitlin Beahm - her second career game-winner - and Roya Khaleeli - with 25 seconds remaining - helping EMU to a 12-10 win.
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.
THAT'S A FIRST • DUGAN
Maddie Dugan tallied several first victories last week as the head coach of the Eagles picked up her first win in charge when Eastern captured a 19-10 win at Presbyterian, Feb. 25. The win also marked her first win on the road with the Eagles. Four days later, Dugan earned her first home victory as the Eagles scored a 12-10 win over visiting Canisius.
THAT'S A FIRST • INDOOR WINNING
With their 12-10 win over Canisius, March 1, the Eagles did something they had not done in program history: win an indoor home game. Ahead of the game with the Golden Griffins, the Eagles stood 0-4 all-time when playing at the Indoor Practice Facility.
ABOVE THE LINE
Following its three wins last week, Eastern moved to 3-2 on the year and now holds a winning percentage above .500 for just the third time in program history. The last time the Eagles had more wins than losses in a season came last year when a 12-9 victory at Detroit Mercy, April 7, 2024, pushed the Eagles to 6-5 overall. EMU finished the year 7-9.
ADDING IT UP
With the 12 goals scored in their 12-10 home win over Canisius (March 1), the Eagles have tallied 47 goals in their last three contests, tying for the most in a three-game stretch in program history. The team also scored 47 goals in three consecutive road games last, including 13 at Duquesne (Feb. 15), 16 at Howard (Feb. 25), and 18 at Delaware State (Feb. 28).
Additionally, through five games played, the Eagles have tallied 64 goals, which ranks as the second-most scored in a five-game stretch in program history. The record is 68 and came early last year with 47 in three games on the road (Duquesne/Howard/Delaware State) before adding six at Lafayette (March 9) and 15 at home against Butler (March 15).
KEPT IT 100
Mackenzie Blackwell became the first player in EMU history to reach 100 points in her career as her tallied four goals and one assist in the opener with San Diego State to put her exactly at 100 points. She reached 100 career goals with her first of five goals at Gardner-Webb. She is closing in on another milestone statistically as the junior currently has 199 career draw controls, leaving her one away from 200.
STOP RIGHT THERE!
Maddie Porter also is nearing a milestone mark in one statistical category as she has made 191 saves in her career, leaving her nine away of 200. Next up for Porter on the career ledger is ground balls as the program's record holder already has secured 86.
WEARING MANY HATS
Emerson Henry recorded three goals against Canisius (March 1) to record the first hat trick of her career and the 10th by an Eastern player this year. Mackenzie Blackwell has tallied four in five games while Katheryn Wilson has posted three. Both Payton Bloedow and Kyleigh Dill have recorded one each this season.
NATIONALLY KNOWN • INDIVIDUALS
Four Eagles enter the weekend ranked among the top 50 nationally according to the March 4 release of the NCAA statistics. Maddie Porter finds her name in three categories, including second in ground balls (4.6), seventh in saves per game (11.8) and 15th in save percentage (.509) while Katheryn Wilson is 26th in free-position shooting percentage (.667). Mackenzie Blackwell is currently 22nd in goals per game (3.6) while Emerson Henry ranks 43rd in draw controls per game (5.4).
SENSATIONAL SCOOPING
Maddie Porter finished her freshman season ranked first in the NCAA with 4.20 ground balls per game, marking the first time an EMU player has won a statistical category award from the NCAA in program history. She picked up right where she left off as she currently ranks second at 4.60 this year.
NATIONALLY KNOWN • TEAM
As a team, the Eagles are ranked among the national top 50 in six categories. The team is 13th in save percentage (.508), 16th in both shot percentage (.478) and draw controls per game (16.0), 48th in both goals per game (12.8) and fewest fouls committed per game (11.0), and 50th in points per game (18.2).
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 ranks in three categories, including 12th with 2.86 goals per game, 13th with 5.38 draw controls per game, and 46th with 3.14 points per game while Maddie Porter stands 42nd with 86 total ground balls collected (she is not on the ground balls per game ledger as she needs a minimum of 100 and currently has 86).
MAKING DEBUTS
Five Eagles made their debuts against San Diego State, including four freshmen. The rookies seeing their first action included Stella Burke, Marley Helton, Erin Humphrey, and Katheryn Wilson while Payton Bloedow, saw her first action after transferring in from Stony Brook for her junior season. Additionally, three players earned their first collegiate starts, including sophomore Kendall Nagle and freshmen Burke and Humphrey.
FIRST POINTS
Three rookies tallied their first collegiate points in the game with San Diego State (Feb. 9), led by Katheryn Wilson, who scored four goals. Additionally, Emerson Henry scored her first goal while Stella Burke recorded her first assist.
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.
HELLO! MY NAME IS...
The remaining 11 players on the roster are newcomers, including 10 freshmen and one transfer in junior Payton Bloedow.
SEA TO SHINING SEA
The EMU roster features 28 American and five Canadians with players hailing from 13 states and two provinces. Maryland dominates the roster with nine players while Michigan (three), Illinois (two), Georgia (two), Minnesota (two), and Pennsylvania (two) each have multiple representatives. Of the Canadian contingent, three hail from Ontario with two coming from British Columbia.
A MADDIE OF FACT
Maddie Dugan is entering her first season as the head coach of the Eagles after being hired Aug. 8, 2024. The third head coach in program history, Dugan came to Ypsilanti after a successful season at Detroit Mercy, where she was named the 2024 MAC Coach of the Year after guiding the Titans to the MAC Tournament final. Dugan served as the head coach at Trine University, an NCAA Division III program, from 2017-21 where she helped see the program increase its win totals over her five seasons in charge. A standout on the field, Dugan was recently inducted into the Adrian College Athletic Hall of Fame where she helped the Bulldogs to four appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
ADDING MORE
The coaching staff grew by two with the additions of Mikela McCauley as an assistant coach and Liv Dameron as a graduate assistant. McCauley came to Ypsilanti after serving as an undergraduate coach at Vanderbilt while Dameron finished her playing career with the Eagles in 2024 as a graduate player.
AND YOU ARE?
The Eagles' schedule features 16 games with seven at home and nine away. Among those 16 opponents are five the program has previously not played. The newcomers to the schedule include home games with San Diego State (Feb. 9), Canisius (March 1), and Oregon (April 11), and road games at Presbyterian (Feb. 25) and Gardner-Webb (Feb. 27).
PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS
The 2025 MAC Preseason Coaches Poll was released, Feb. 5, with the Eagles voted to place third in the 2025 MAC regular season standings, the highest predicted finish for the program after being selected sixth (tie) in 2023 and fourth (2024). Robert Morris was first with 34 points while Central Michigan was second with 31. EMU earned one first-place vote and two votes to win the conference tournament, both of which were firsts for the program.
ON THE HORIZON
Mid-American Conference play begins next week with the Eagles traveling to Moon Township, Pa., to take on Robert Morris University, March 16, at 12 p.m. When facing a MAC foe, the game will mark the third consecutive meeting against the Colonials for the Eagles as RMU took a 12-10 win at EMU (April 27, 2024) in the regular season finale before downing the Eagles, 12-11, one week later (May 2) in the semifinals of the MAC Tournament.
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.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University lacrosse team, winners of three consecutive games for the first time in program history, will look to build upon its winning ways as the Eagles will hit the road for a pair of games this weekend, including trips to face Butler University, March 7, and the University of Cincinnati, March 9. The Eagles (3-2) will first take on the Bulldogs (0-4) at Varsity Field in Indianapolis, Ind., in a 3 p.m. contest that will be streamed live on FloSports. The weekend ends inside Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, with a 12 p.m. game on ESPN+ with the Bearcats (4-3).
OPENING DRAWS
» The Eagles went 3-0 last week to bring their record to 3-2 on the year.
» The win at Presbyterian (Feb. 25) to open the week was not only the first of the season for the Eagles but also stands as the first for Maddie Dugan as the program's head coach.
» With the 16-6 win at Gardner-Webb (Feb. 27) and the 12-10 home win over Canisius (March 1), the Eagles extended their winning streak to three, marking the first time in program history the team has won three in a row.
» The win at home over Canisius marked the first time in program history the Eagles had won at the EMU Indoor Practice Facility (0-4 entering the game).
» Two Eagles earned recognition from the conference for their play last week as Mackenzie Blackwell was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week and Maddie Porter was named MAC Goalkeeper of the Week.
» Mackenzie Blackwell, who scored her 100th career goal at Gardner-Webb, is one draw control from another milestone as she has recorded a team-record 199 through the game with Canisius.
» Maddie Porter also is approaching a milestone as she needs nine saves to reach 200 for her career (at 191).
» Emerson Henry recorded her first career hat trick as she scored three in the win over Canisius (March 1). She is the fifth different EMU player to record at least one hat trick this year, joining Mackenzie Blackwell (four), Katheryn Wilson (three), Payton Bloedow (one), and Kyleigh Dill (one).
» Four Eagles hold top 50 national rankings according to the March 4 NCAA statistical update. Maddie Porter ranks second in ground balls (4.6), seventh in saves per game (11.8) and 15th in save percentage (.509) while Mackenzie Blackwell is 22nd in goals per game (3.6) and Emerson Henry is 43rd in draw controls (5.4).
» 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.
FEELING HONORED
Two Eagles earned weekly awards from the conference earlier this week (March 4) with Mackenzie Blackwell being named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week and Maddie Porter the MAC Goalkeeper of the Week. Blackwell led the Eagles 11 goals, including her 100th career goal, the first to do so in program history, and added eight ground balls, 12 draw controls, and one caused turnover on the week. She opened play with four goals at Presbyterian to bring her career total to 99 before scoring five at Gardner-Webb to crack the century mark. She finished the week with two goals against Canisius to help EMU to its third consecutive win.
Porter made 30 saves and saved more than half the shots she faced as she helped the Eagles to three wins and the program's first three-game winning streak in program history. Porter opened the week with 14 saves against Presbyterian while adding three ground balls before recording seven saves, four ground balls, and once caused turnover while limiting Gardner-Webb to five goals in a 16-6 win, the second-fewest goals allowed in a game in program history. In the finale, she recorded nine saves in the 12-10 win over Canisius, including three each in the third and fourth quarters to close out the win.
THE THREE-L OF VICTORY
The Eagles have won three consecutive games for the first time in program history with all three victories earned last week. The Eagles opened the week with a 19-10 victory at Presbyterian, Feb. 25, before posting a 16-6 win at Gardner-Webb two days later (Feb. 27). The week ended at home with a 12-10 win over Canisius (March 1). Prior to the week, EMU had twice posted two-game winning streaks but had not posted three in a row until now.
KNOW THE FOE: BUTLER
The Bulldogs enter the game with a 0-4 record following their 11-5 road loss at Akron (March 2). Set to face their third MAC foe in a row (lost, 15-10, at Youngstown State, Feb. 28), the Bulldogs are led by Elisa Latham, who has tallied nine points on seven goals and two assists, and Maggie Lewis, who has scored five goals. In goal, Alyssa Lentz holds a 15.30 goals-against average while recorded 9.75 saves per game.
IN THE SERIES: EAGLES vs. BULLDOGS
The Eagles and Bulldogs have split the previous two meetings with the home team winning each contest. Butler took a close 14-13 home win, March 26, 2023, in EMU's inaugural season before the Eagles answered with a 15-8 home last year (March 15, 2024).
KNOW THE FOE: CINCINNATI
The Bearcats enter the weekend with a 4-3 record and are 2-2 at home, including an 18-11 win over local rival Xavier (Feb. 26). Winners of three in a row, including a 13-6 road win at Central Michigan in their last outing, the Bearcats will travel to face No. 21 Ohio State, March 7. Individually, two Bearcats have scored over 20 goals, including Lauren Ottensmeyer (29) and Camryn Callaghan (20) as the duo leads the way with 34 and 26 points, respectively. In goal, Hailey Darko carries a 9.46 goals-against average while averaging 5.7 saves per game.
IN THE SERIES: EAGLES vs. BEARCATS
The game between Eastern Michigan and Cincinnati will be the first in the series.
QUICK RECAP: CANISIUS
For the first time in program history, EMU has won three consecutive games as the Eagles downed visiting Canisius, 12-10, Saturday morning, March 1, inside the EMU Indoor Practice Facility in Ypsilanti. The Eagles (3-2) received goals from seven different players, including the first career hat trick for Emerson Henry, to defeat the Golden Griffins (1-4).
After the game was tied a 4-4 following the first quarter, the Eagles used a 3-0 second to take a 7-4 halftime lead. A back-and-forth third quarter saw the Eagles lead, 10-9, through three before goals from Caitlin Beahm - her second career game-winner - and Roya Khaleeli - with 25 seconds remaining - helping EMU to a 12-10 win.
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.
THAT'S A FIRST • DUGAN
Maddie Dugan tallied several first victories last week as the head coach of the Eagles picked up her first win in charge when Eastern captured a 19-10 win at Presbyterian, Feb. 25. The win also marked her first win on the road with the Eagles. Four days later, Dugan earned her first home victory as the Eagles scored a 12-10 win over visiting Canisius.
THAT'S A FIRST • INDOOR WINNING
With their 12-10 win over Canisius, March 1, the Eagles did something they had not done in program history: win an indoor home game. Ahead of the game with the Golden Griffins, the Eagles stood 0-4 all-time when playing at the Indoor Practice Facility.
ABOVE THE LINE
Following its three wins last week, Eastern moved to 3-2 on the year and now holds a winning percentage above .500 for just the third time in program history. The last time the Eagles had more wins than losses in a season came last year when a 12-9 victory at Detroit Mercy, April 7, 2024, pushed the Eagles to 6-5 overall. EMU finished the year 7-9.
ADDING IT UP
With the 12 goals scored in their 12-10 home win over Canisius (March 1), the Eagles have tallied 47 goals in their last three contests, tying for the most in a three-game stretch in program history. The team also scored 47 goals in three consecutive road games last, including 13 at Duquesne (Feb. 15), 16 at Howard (Feb. 25), and 18 at Delaware State (Feb. 28).
Additionally, through five games played, the Eagles have tallied 64 goals, which ranks as the second-most scored in a five-game stretch in program history. The record is 68 and came early last year with 47 in three games on the road (Duquesne/Howard/Delaware State) before adding six at Lafayette (March 9) and 15 at home against Butler (March 15).
KEPT IT 100
Mackenzie Blackwell became the first player in EMU history to reach 100 points in her career as her tallied four goals and one assist in the opener with San Diego State to put her exactly at 100 points. She reached 100 career goals with her first of five goals at Gardner-Webb. She is closing in on another milestone statistically as the junior currently has 199 career draw controls, leaving her one away from 200.
STOP RIGHT THERE!
Maddie Porter also is nearing a milestone mark in one statistical category as she has made 191 saves in her career, leaving her nine away of 200. Next up for Porter on the career ledger is ground balls as the program's record holder already has secured 86.
WEARING MANY HATS
Emerson Henry recorded three goals against Canisius (March 1) to record the first hat trick of her career and the 10th by an Eastern player this year. Mackenzie Blackwell has tallied four in five games while Katheryn Wilson has posted three. Both Payton Bloedow and Kyleigh Dill have recorded one each this season.
NATIONALLY KNOWN • INDIVIDUALS
Four Eagles enter the weekend ranked among the top 50 nationally according to the March 4 release of the NCAA statistics. Maddie Porter finds her name in three categories, including second in ground balls (4.6), seventh in saves per game (11.8) and 15th in save percentage (.509) while Katheryn Wilson is 26th in free-position shooting percentage (.667). Mackenzie Blackwell is currently 22nd in goals per game (3.6) while Emerson Henry ranks 43rd in draw controls per game (5.4).
SENSATIONAL SCOOPING
Maddie Porter finished her freshman season ranked first in the NCAA with 4.20 ground balls per game, marking the first time an EMU player has won a statistical category award from the NCAA in program history. She picked up right where she left off as she currently ranks second at 4.60 this year.
NATIONALLY KNOWN • TEAM
As a team, the Eagles are ranked among the national top 50 in six categories. The team is 13th in save percentage (.508), 16th in both shot percentage (.478) and draw controls per game (16.0), 48th in both goals per game (12.8) and fewest fouls committed per game (11.0), and 50th in points per game (18.2).
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 ranks in three categories, including 12th with 2.86 goals per game, 13th with 5.38 draw controls per game, and 46th with 3.14 points per game while Maddie Porter stands 42nd with 86 total ground balls collected (she is not on the ground balls per game ledger as she needs a minimum of 100 and currently has 86).
MAKING DEBUTS
Five Eagles made their debuts against San Diego State, including four freshmen. The rookies seeing their first action included Stella Burke, Marley Helton, Erin Humphrey, and Katheryn Wilson while Payton Bloedow, saw her first action after transferring in from Stony Brook for her junior season. Additionally, three players earned their first collegiate starts, including sophomore Kendall Nagle and freshmen Burke and Humphrey.
FIRST POINTS
Three rookies tallied their first collegiate points in the game with San Diego State (Feb. 9), led by Katheryn Wilson, who scored four goals. Additionally, Emerson Henry scored her first goal while Stella Burke recorded her first assist.
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.
HELLO! MY NAME IS...
The remaining 11 players on the roster are newcomers, including 10 freshmen and one transfer in junior Payton Bloedow.
SEA TO SHINING SEA
The EMU roster features 28 American and five Canadians with players hailing from 13 states and two provinces. Maryland dominates the roster with nine players while Michigan (three), Illinois (two), Georgia (two), Minnesota (two), and Pennsylvania (two) each have multiple representatives. Of the Canadian contingent, three hail from Ontario with two coming from British Columbia.
A MADDIE OF FACT
Maddie Dugan is entering her first season as the head coach of the Eagles after being hired Aug. 8, 2024. The third head coach in program history, Dugan came to Ypsilanti after a successful season at Detroit Mercy, where she was named the 2024 MAC Coach of the Year after guiding the Titans to the MAC Tournament final. Dugan served as the head coach at Trine University, an NCAA Division III program, from 2017-21 where she helped see the program increase its win totals over her five seasons in charge. A standout on the field, Dugan was recently inducted into the Adrian College Athletic Hall of Fame where she helped the Bulldogs to four appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
ADDING MORE
The coaching staff grew by two with the additions of Mikela McCauley as an assistant coach and Liv Dameron as a graduate assistant. McCauley came to Ypsilanti after serving as an undergraduate coach at Vanderbilt while Dameron finished her playing career with the Eagles in 2024 as a graduate player.
AND YOU ARE?
The Eagles' schedule features 16 games with seven at home and nine away. Among those 16 opponents are five the program has previously not played. The newcomers to the schedule include home games with San Diego State (Feb. 9), Canisius (March 1), and Oregon (April 11), and road games at Presbyterian (Feb. 25) and Gardner-Webb (Feb. 27).
PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS
The 2025 MAC Preseason Coaches Poll was released, Feb. 5, with the Eagles voted to place third in the 2025 MAC regular season standings, the highest predicted finish for the program after being selected sixth (tie) in 2023 and fourth (2024). Robert Morris was first with 34 points while Central Michigan was second with 31. EMU earned one first-place vote and two votes to win the conference tournament, both of which were firsts for the program.
ON THE HORIZON
Mid-American Conference play begins next week with the Eagles traveling to Moon Township, Pa., to take on Robert Morris University, March 16, at 12 p.m. When facing a MAC foe, the game will mark the third consecutive meeting against the Colonials for the Eagles as RMU took a 12-10 win at EMU (April 27, 2024) in the regular season finale before downing the Eagles, 12-11, one week later (May 2) in the semifinals of the MAC Tournament.
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.
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