Eastern Michigan Athletics
Sunday, April 13
Kent, Ohio
1 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
7-6 (3-2)
15
at
8
Kent State
6-9 (1-3)
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F
Eastern Michigan
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15
Kent State
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Photo by: Walt Middleton Photography
Blackwell Nets Eight as Eagles Down Kent State, 15-8
4/13/2025 5:57:00 PM | Lacrosse
Eastern secured a big win in MAC play to remain in the hunt for the conference crown
KENT, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) -- Needing a win to remain in contention for the Mid-American Conference crown, the Eastern Michigan University lacrosse team received just that as Mackenzie Blackwell netted eight goals to lead the Eagles to a 15-8 win over Kent State University Sunday, April 13, inside Dix Stadium in Kent, Ohio. The Eagles (7-7, 3-2 MAC) tied a program record for wins in a season with their victory over the Golden Flashes (6-9, 1-3 MAC) while securing their first road win in league play in 2025.
How It Happened
The hosts scored the first goal of the game and held a 1-0 lead until more than seven minutes had been played before Blackwell (North Beach, Md./Northern) scored back-to-back goals for a 2-1 lead. Blackwell scored at 8:35 on a pass from Tracy Grollman (Annapolis, Md./Annapolis Area Christian School) before scoring unassisted at 5:59. KSU added a goal with 28 seconds to play to tie the game at 2-2 at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter opened with Blackwell, off another pass from Grollman, completing her 12th hat trick of the year before Abby Alderman (Lusby, Md./Patuxent), who was set up by Blackwell, tallied at 10:12 for a 4-2 lead, a lead the Eagles would not relinquish. After KSU pulled one goal back (4-3), the Eagles ran off four consecutive goals to close the quarter and build an 8-3 halftime lead. The run started with Blackwell bagging her fourth of the day and Grollman following behind with her first. Blackwell then scored her fifth, this time on the woman-up advantage and off a pass from Emerson Henry (Ashburn, Ontario/Donald A. Wilson) before Henry scored her first on a free-position shot with four seconds to play.
Following intermission, the Golden Flashes scored twice to cut into the EMU lead (8-5), but the Eagles responded with the final two goals of the stanza for a 10-5 lead. With 6:02 to play in the third, Henry scored her second of the day with the goal standing as the game-winner, which is the first of her career. Blackwell, on a third assist from Grollman, scored three minutes later.
In the fourth, Ab. Alderman scored her second and was assisted by her sister, Amber Alderman (Lusby, Md./Patuxent), before Grollman scored on the woman-up advantage off a pass from Katheryn Wilson (Dacula, Ga./Mill Creek) for a 12-5 lead. After KSU scored, Grollman earned her fourth assist as she hit Ab. Alderman for her third of the contest while the team was down one player. Blackwell would follow with her seventh and eighth goals of the game for a 15-6 lead before KSU would add two in the final minutes of play for the 15-8 final
Individual Notes
» Mackenzie Blackwell finished the game with nine points on eight goals and one assist to record her 12th hat trick of the year and the 29th of her career. The eight goals and nine points tied for the second-most in a game after she accomplished the feat at Delaware State (Feb. 28, 2024). Additionally, her eight goals tie for the most scored against a MAC foe with Syndey Lawrence, who scored eight at Youngstown State (April 21, 2024) last year.
» Mackenzie Blackwell reset a pair of school records following her play at Kent State as she improved upon her previous marks in single-season goals and single-season points. Blackwell has tallied 53 goals and 58 points in 2025, surpassing the 49 goals and 54 points recorded one year ago. She also is the only player in program history to record 50+ goals in a single season.
» Mackenzie Blackwell's fifth goal of the game (4:37 to play in the second) was a milestone goal for the Eagles as it stands as the 250th goal scored in a road game in program history. Emerson Henry, who assisted on the Blackwell goal, scored the next goal of the game (0:04 remaining in the second), to post the 100th goal in a road MAC contest for EMU.
» Emerson Henry not only posted the program's 100th goal in a MAC road game, but she also secured her first career game-winning goal as she tallied the eventual winner with 6:02 to play in the third. She is the sixth different Eagle to record a game-winning goal this year. She finished the game with two goals and one assist to make it three consecutive games with at least two goals and one assist for the Eagles.
» Tracy Grollman finished the game with six points on two goals and four assists. The four assists tied a career-high (at Delaware State, Feb. 28, 2024) while ranking as the second-most recorded in a single game and a MAC game, just behind the five recorded by Sydney Lawrence at YSU last year (April 21, 2024).
» Maddie Porter (Montrose, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) was strong in goal once again for the Eagles as she recorded 12 saves and collected 10 ground balls. Her 12 saves tied for the sixth-most in a game this year and the second-most in a MAC game while marking the seventh time all season she has stopped 11 or more shots in a game. Additionally, her 10 ground balls were one shy of her career-best (11 at Detroit Mercy, April 7, 2024), ranking as the second-most recorded in a game overall and against a MAC opponent.
» Abby Alderman tallied her first hat trick of the year as she netted three goals in the win. She entered the game having scored one goal in eight different games this season and bettered her two points she recorded six different times in 2025. The hat trick stands as the fourth of her career and the first since she scored four goals in a home game with Robert Morris (April 27, 2024) last year. One of her goals came when EMU was a woman-down, her first career down goal and just the second by any EMU player against a MAC foe (Payton Bloedow (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake/Stony Brook) vs. Youngstown State, March 23).
» Roya Khaleeli (Rancho Palo Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula) collected four draw controls to double her previous season-best of two that she recorded against Youngstown State (March 23). The draw wins also tied a career high, matching her best recorded three times previously.
Team Notes
» Eastern improved to 7-7 overall and 3-2 in MAC play while Kent State fell to 6-9 overall and 1-3 in league action.
» The win for the Eagles tied the single-season program record for wins, equaling the mark set last year when EMU finished 7-9.
» The win at Kent State is the first of the year in MAC play for the Eagles after dropping identical 10-9 decisions at Robert Morris (March 16) and Central Michigan (March 30).
» EMU recorded back-to-back milestone goals late in the second quarter. First, Mackenzie Blackwell scored on the woman-advantage to make it 7-3 and record the 250th road goal scored in program history. Emerson Henry, who assisted on the Blackwell goal, followed with a free-position score with four seconds remaining in the quarter for the 100th road goal in MAC play.
» The eight goals allowed tied for the second-fewest conceded to a MAC foe, tying the eight allowed to Detroit Mercy (April 6) earlier this year sits behind the six allowed to Youngstown State (March 23). The total also is the lowest allowed in a MAC road contest, bettering the mark of nine conceded at Detroit Mercy last year (April 7, 2024).
» Eastern tallied one goal when down one player, marking the third time this year EMU has tallied a woman-down score. Additionally, the down goal marks just the second recorded against a MAC foe in program history with the first coming against Youngstown State (March 23) earlier this season.
Up Next
Eastern returns to action at home Sunday, April 20, with a 1 p.m. MAC contest against the University of Akron Zips at Scicluna Field. The game is the final MAC contest of the regular season for the Eagles and will see them look to hand the Zips only their second MAC loss of the year. The game will stream live on ESPN+ and admission at Scicluna Field is free for all fans.
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.
How It Happened
The hosts scored the first goal of the game and held a 1-0 lead until more than seven minutes had been played before Blackwell (North Beach, Md./Northern) scored back-to-back goals for a 2-1 lead. Blackwell scored at 8:35 on a pass from Tracy Grollman (Annapolis, Md./Annapolis Area Christian School) before scoring unassisted at 5:59. KSU added a goal with 28 seconds to play to tie the game at 2-2 at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter opened with Blackwell, off another pass from Grollman, completing her 12th hat trick of the year before Abby Alderman (Lusby, Md./Patuxent), who was set up by Blackwell, tallied at 10:12 for a 4-2 lead, a lead the Eagles would not relinquish. After KSU pulled one goal back (4-3), the Eagles ran off four consecutive goals to close the quarter and build an 8-3 halftime lead. The run started with Blackwell bagging her fourth of the day and Grollman following behind with her first. Blackwell then scored her fifth, this time on the woman-up advantage and off a pass from Emerson Henry (Ashburn, Ontario/Donald A. Wilson) before Henry scored her first on a free-position shot with four seconds to play.
Following intermission, the Golden Flashes scored twice to cut into the EMU lead (8-5), but the Eagles responded with the final two goals of the stanza for a 10-5 lead. With 6:02 to play in the third, Henry scored her second of the day with the goal standing as the game-winner, which is the first of her career. Blackwell, on a third assist from Grollman, scored three minutes later.
In the fourth, Ab. Alderman scored her second and was assisted by her sister, Amber Alderman (Lusby, Md./Patuxent), before Grollman scored on the woman-up advantage off a pass from Katheryn Wilson (Dacula, Ga./Mill Creek) for a 12-5 lead. After KSU scored, Grollman earned her fourth assist as she hit Ab. Alderman for her third of the contest while the team was down one player. Blackwell would follow with her seventh and eighth goals of the game for a 15-6 lead before KSU would add two in the final minutes of play for the 15-8 final
Individual Notes
» Mackenzie Blackwell finished the game with nine points on eight goals and one assist to record her 12th hat trick of the year and the 29th of her career. The eight goals and nine points tied for the second-most in a game after she accomplished the feat at Delaware State (Feb. 28, 2024). Additionally, her eight goals tie for the most scored against a MAC foe with Syndey Lawrence, who scored eight at Youngstown State (April 21, 2024) last year.
» Mackenzie Blackwell reset a pair of school records following her play at Kent State as she improved upon her previous marks in single-season goals and single-season points. Blackwell has tallied 53 goals and 58 points in 2025, surpassing the 49 goals and 54 points recorded one year ago. She also is the only player in program history to record 50+ goals in a single season.
» Mackenzie Blackwell's fifth goal of the game (4:37 to play in the second) was a milestone goal for the Eagles as it stands as the 250th goal scored in a road game in program history. Emerson Henry, who assisted on the Blackwell goal, scored the next goal of the game (0:04 remaining in the second), to post the 100th goal in a road MAC contest for EMU.
» Emerson Henry not only posted the program's 100th goal in a MAC road game, but she also secured her first career game-winning goal as she tallied the eventual winner with 6:02 to play in the third. She is the sixth different Eagle to record a game-winning goal this year. She finished the game with two goals and one assist to make it three consecutive games with at least two goals and one assist for the Eagles.
» Tracy Grollman finished the game with six points on two goals and four assists. The four assists tied a career-high (at Delaware State, Feb. 28, 2024) while ranking as the second-most recorded in a single game and a MAC game, just behind the five recorded by Sydney Lawrence at YSU last year (April 21, 2024).
» Maddie Porter (Montrose, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) was strong in goal once again for the Eagles as she recorded 12 saves and collected 10 ground balls. Her 12 saves tied for the sixth-most in a game this year and the second-most in a MAC game while marking the seventh time all season she has stopped 11 or more shots in a game. Additionally, her 10 ground balls were one shy of her career-best (11 at Detroit Mercy, April 7, 2024), ranking as the second-most recorded in a game overall and against a MAC opponent.
» Abby Alderman tallied her first hat trick of the year as she netted three goals in the win. She entered the game having scored one goal in eight different games this season and bettered her two points she recorded six different times in 2025. The hat trick stands as the fourth of her career and the first since she scored four goals in a home game with Robert Morris (April 27, 2024) last year. One of her goals came when EMU was a woman-down, her first career down goal and just the second by any EMU player against a MAC foe (Payton Bloedow (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake/Stony Brook) vs. Youngstown State, March 23).
» Roya Khaleeli (Rancho Palo Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula) collected four draw controls to double her previous season-best of two that she recorded against Youngstown State (March 23). The draw wins also tied a career high, matching her best recorded three times previously.
Team Notes
» Eastern improved to 7-7 overall and 3-2 in MAC play while Kent State fell to 6-9 overall and 1-3 in league action.
» The win for the Eagles tied the single-season program record for wins, equaling the mark set last year when EMU finished 7-9.
» The win at Kent State is the first of the year in MAC play for the Eagles after dropping identical 10-9 decisions at Robert Morris (March 16) and Central Michigan (March 30).
» EMU recorded back-to-back milestone goals late in the second quarter. First, Mackenzie Blackwell scored on the woman-advantage to make it 7-3 and record the 250th road goal scored in program history. Emerson Henry, who assisted on the Blackwell goal, followed with a free-position score with four seconds remaining in the quarter for the 100th road goal in MAC play.
» The eight goals allowed tied for the second-fewest conceded to a MAC foe, tying the eight allowed to Detroit Mercy (April 6) earlier this year sits behind the six allowed to Youngstown State (March 23). The total also is the lowest allowed in a MAC road contest, bettering the mark of nine conceded at Detroit Mercy last year (April 7, 2024).
» Eastern tallied one goal when down one player, marking the third time this year EMU has tallied a woman-down score. Additionally, the down goal marks just the second recorded against a MAC foe in program history with the first coming against Youngstown State (March 23) earlier this season.
Up Next
Eastern returns to action at home Sunday, April 20, with a 1 p.m. MAC contest against the University of Akron Zips at Scicluna Field. The game is the final MAC contest of the regular season for the Eagles and will see them look to hand the Zips only their second MAC loss of the year. The game will stream live on ESPN+ and admission at Scicluna Field is free for all fans.
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.
Team Stats
EMU
KENTST
Shots
33
26
Turnovers
12
13
Caused Turnovers
5
5
Draw Controls
15
11
Free-Position Shots
5
4
Ground Balls
21
19
Game Leaders
Players
G
8
A
1
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
2
CT
0
G
3
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
1
CT
1
G
2
A
4
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
1
CT
0
G
2
A
1
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
0
CT
0
Players Mentioned
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M/A
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