Lacrosse Hosts Marquette for Senior Day Friday

GAME #16 \| Lacrosse vs. MARQUETTE \| SENIOR DAY
Date	Friday, April 25 \| 12 p.m.
Venue	Scicluna Field \| Ypsilanti, Mich.
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live	Watch (ESPN+) \| Live Statistics
Social Media	Instagram: @emu_Lacrosse \| Twitter: @EMU_Lacrosse

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Already locked in for its second consecutive postseason appearance in program history, the Eastern Michigan University lacrosse team will play its final regular season contest Friday, April 25, when the Golden Eagles of Marquette University come to Scicluna Field for a 12 p.m. Senior Day match that will be streamed live on ESPN+. The Eagles (8-7, 4-2 Mid-American) finished their MAC slate with a 4-2 record and clinched a berth in next week's MAC Tournament while the Golden Eagles (9-6, 3-3 Big East) will need help from games played this weekend to earn a berth into their league tournament.

SENIOR DAY
Following the game with Marquette, the EMU program will honor four of its members in Senior Day festivities. The seniors being honored include Savannah Berner, Tracy Grollman, Avery Schwab, and Laurelle Weisbrod. Grollman and Schwab are members of the Original Six, the first six players that signed with the program and practiced together one year before the program began playing.

OPENING DRAWS
» Eastern is 8-7 overall and 4-2 in the MAC following its 16-12 home win over Akron (April 20).
» Both win totals for the Eagles are program records as the eight overall victories surpassed the 7-9 record from last year while the four MAC wins mark back-to-back seasons with four wins in league play.
» With their 4-2 record, the Eagles clinched a berth in the MAC Tournament for the second consecutive year in just the third year the program has competed. Seeding, location, and game times will be announced following Sunday's games around the MAC.
» Based on the standings, the Eagles are still in the hunt for a share of the MAC title. EMU would split the title with at least Akron and Robert Morris if the Zips defeat the Colonials in Akron, Ohio, Sunday (1 p.m.)
» Two Eagles earned recognition from the league this week as Tracy Grollman was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week and Annika Wozney was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Week. While both players earned their first weekly awards this year, Grollman's accolade made it three consecutive weeks an EMU player took home the offensive honor (Mackenzie Blackwell, April 8 and 15).
» Two Eagles reset school records with their play last week against Akron, including two by Maddie Porter, who reset her ground balls record with 64, one more than the 63 she recorded in 2024, and Emerson Henry, who broke the freshman record with 85 draw controls, bettering the 83 Mackenzie Blackwell had in 2023.
» Maddie Porter, who recorded her 200th career save earlier this season, is creeping up on a pair of milestones. On the single-season ledger, she became the first Eagle to record 150+ saves in a season (156) and is now just 12 away from reaching 300 stops in her career and become the first in program history to do so.
» The team broke a pair of season records last week as well with 180 goals and 38 free-position goals scored in 2025 ranking as the most in program history. The previous records were 176 goals in 2024 and 37 free-position goals in 2023.
» 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 Titan 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.

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PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Eastern Michigan players garnered two of the three weekly awards from the conference this week as Tracy Grollman was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week and Annika Wozney was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Week. Grollman tallied a double hat trick against Akron with five goals and three assists to give the offensive award to the Eagles for the third consecutive week. She tallied a career-high eight points in the win while scoring her second game-winning goal this year. Wozney, who earned the first defensive honor for the team this year, recorded five caused turnovers and three ground balls in the win. Her five causes tied for the most by a MAC player this year.

ADDING THEM UP
EMU has won nine weekly awards from the MAC this season, including five offensive, one defensive, and three goalkeeper honors. Offensively, Mackenzie Blackwell earned three awards (March 4, April 8, and April 15) while Katheryn Wilson (March 25) and Tracy Grollman (April 22) earned the others. Annika Wozney (April 22) captured the only defensive award while Maddie Porter grabbed the goalkeeper award three times (March 4, March 11, and April 8).

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PUTTING THE SCHOLAR IN SCHOLAR-ATHLETE
Tracy Grollman collected another award from the league this week as she was named the MAC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Week, April 23. To be eligible for the honor, a student-athlete must carry a 3.0 cumulative GPA and have excelled in competition the previous week. Grollman, this week's MAC Offensive Player of the Week, is the second player in EMU history to earn the award and second to do so this year after Mackenzie Blackwell was selected April 9, one day after earning her second MAC Offensive Player of the Week honor.

AND THE AWARD GOES TO...
The EMU Athletic Department held its 9th Annual YPSI Awards Show Wednesday, April 16, with members of the team earning awards. Tracy Grollman was named the program's Teammate of the Year ahead of the show. During the event, Roya Khaleeli was the first from the program to be honored as she received the Eagles U Achievement Award as her involvement on campus and in the Ypsilanti community saw her accumulate over 60 hours of community service work. Later, Allison Lane was named the Assistant Coach of the Year before Mackenzie Blackwell took home to top honor as the Female Athlete of the Year.

KNOW THE FOE: MARQUETTE
The Golden Eagles enter the game with a 9-6 record (3-3 Big East) following a tough 14-13 loss at Georgetown in their most recent game (April 19). Marquette, who holds a 3-4 record on the road this year, has dropped its last two away contests with a 15-8 decision at Villanova (April 6) as well. The Eagles and Golden Eagles share five common opponents and, oddly enough, played all five in the same locations, including road games at Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Michigan, and Butler, and a home game with Detroit Mercy. Individually, Meg Bireley leads the way with 74 points on 58 goals and 16 assists while Tess Osburn (39-18=57) and Hanna Bodner (43-10=53) both have tallied at least 50 points as well. Defensively, Brynna Nixon has started 14 of the team's 15 games, recording 90 saves (34.9 save percentage) while allowing 14.18 goals per game.

IN THE SERIES: EAGLES vs. GOLDEN EAGLES
Eastern is 0-2 all-time against Marquette with one loss each in Ypsilanti and Milwaukee. The teams met last year with the Golden Eagles taking a 14-5 win on their home turf (March 17, 2024), after winning in Ypsilanti, 18-5, in the first meeting (March 24, 2023).

FAMILIAR FACE
When Eastern and Marquette meet, the Golden Eagles will see a familiar face on the EMU sideline as Allison Lane, EMU associate head coach, is a 2018 graduate of Marquette and a four-year member of the team. During her time in Milwaukee, Lane was a three-time All-Big East selection, including twice to the first team, while earning three Big East All-Academic honors. A competitor in the 2018 IWLCA Senior All-Star Game, Lane posted career highs that year in goals (39), assists (14), points (53), ground balls (47), draw controls (82), and caused turnovers (25). Her ground ball mark is still tied for the single-season record at MU.

IN THE STANDINGS: SIT AND WAIT
The Eagles finished their MAC schedule last week with their 16-12 home win over Akron to post a 4-2 record while the remaining six schools in the league will all play this weekend for the final time in 2025. Eastern has secured its berth in the 2025 MAC Tournament (May 1 and 3) with this weekend's games set to decide the conference champion(s), tournament seeding, and host site. The schedule includes Youngstown State at Kent State Saturday at 1 p.m., Central Michigan at Detroit Mercy Sunday at 12 p.m., and Robert Morris at Akron Sunday at 1 p.m.

NOT JUST US
Marquette also will be in 'sit and wait' mode following the game Friday as they will need Georgetown to win at UConn to push the Golden Eagles into the Big East Tournament in Philadelphia. The Hoyas and Huskies play Saturday afternoon.

HERE WE GO, YO!
The scenarios are plentiful this weekend with the conference title and tournament hosting duties on the line. Depending upon how things shake out, the MAC could crown either one, three, or four regular season champions for the 2025 season with much of the drama coming down to the result of the Robert Morris at Akron game. Should the Colonials win, their 5-1 record would make them the outright MAC champions and hosts of the MAC Tournament as the No. 1 seed. If the Zips win, however, both teams, along with EMU, would finish at 4-2 in the MAC and create a three-way tie for the title. But...

...THINGS COULD GET CRAZIER
Should Akron defeat Robert Morris, the season might not end with a three-way tie for the title as Central Michigan could join the party. The Chippewas enter their game at Detroit Mercy with a 3-2 record, meaning a win over the Titans would make CMU 4-2 and, if Akron wins, FOUR teams would tie for the title. That would mean the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament would be guaranteed to be held by a regular season champion that would have defeated two MAC champions for the bid.

TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADERS!
Eastern continues to lead the MAC in goals-against average (10.61) and draw controls per game (13.87) to go along with four individual leaders. Mackenzie Blackwell leads the way in three events, including goals per game (3.6), points per game (3.93), and shots per game (7.93), while Maddie Porter sets the pace in ground balls per game (4.27).

NATIONALLY KNOWN • TEAM
As a team, the Eagles hold top 50 national rankings in four categories, including seventh in saves percentage at .497. Eastern also ranks 12th in fewest fouls (9.93), 35th in ground balls per game (17.53), and 41st in goals-against average (10.61).

NATIONALLY KNOWN • INDIVIDUAL
Mackenzie Blackwell, Maddie Porter, and Emerson Henry continue to rank among the top 50 nationally. Porter leads the way with four rankings, including first in ground balls (4.27), sixth in save percentage (.500), 11th in saves per game (10.4), and 32nd in goals-against average (10.58). Blackwell ranks 15th in shots per game (7.93) and 20th in goals per game (3.6) while Henry is 40th in draw controls per game (5.67).

STAYING ACTIVE
Through games played April 20, two Eagles' career numbers rank among the top 50 all active players nationally with Mackenzie Blackwell and Maddie Porter named in three. Blackwell is currently 15th with 3.02 goals per game, 42nd with 142 total goals scored, and 30th with 4.60 draw controls per game. Porter is the national leader with 4.23 ground balls per game (5th in all divisions), 15th with 127 career ground balls, and 41st with 288 career saves.

GREAT EIGHT
The win over Akron (April 20) gave the Eagles their record eighth win of the season, surpassing the record set in 2024 when the team finished 7-9. Additionally, the team finished 4-2 in MAC play for the second consecutive year to tie for the most wins in a league season in program history.

HIGH FLYING
The Eagles scored 16 goals against Akron (April 20), marking the second-most scored against a league foe this year behind the 19 tallied against Youngstown State (March 23). All four of EMU's MAC wins in 2025 have produced at least 13 goals as the Eagles posted wins of 19-6 over YSU, 13-8 over Detroit Mercy (April 6), 15-8 over Kent State (April 13), and 16-12 against Akron.

MILESTONE GOALS
Four of the goals scored against Akron (April 20) went as program milestones. With 5:17 to play in the game, Emerson Henry, off a pass from Tracy Grollman, scored the 500th goal in program history. Two milestones were recorded in the first quarter as Amber Alderman, also on a Grollman assist, scored the 150th home goal at Scicluna Field before Mackenzie Blackwell, on a pass from Henry, tallied the 100th home goal in a MAC game. Finally, in the second quarter, Grollman scored a free-position goal to mark the 200th goal tallied in a MAC game in program history.

HAPPY TO HELP POINTING THINGS OUT
Against the Zips, the Eagles added 10 assists on the 16 goals for 26 points. The 10 helpers tied for the second-most in a single game (11 at Delaware State, Feb. 28, 2024, is the record) while tying the single-game MAC record after posting 10 against Detroit Mercy (April 29, 2023). Seven different players recorded at least one assists, which tied for the program's single-game record.

PITCHING SHUTOUTS
Trailing by one heading into the fourth, the Eagles went on a 5-0 run to hand Akron a 16-12 loss (April 20). The fourth quarter shutout marked the eighth quarter in 2025 the Eagles held an opponent scoreless, the most in a single season in program history.

GROLLMAN GOING OFF
In the game at Kent State (April 13), Tracy Grollman caught a hot streak as she finished with six points on two goals and four assists in the road win, posting career-highs in both assists and points. Jump ahead one week (April 20) against Akron and Grollman was back at it as she posted a career-high eight points on a career-best five goals while adding three assists. Prior to the KSU game, Grollman had tallied 22 points on 17 goals and five assists before posting 14 points on seven goals and seven assists in the last two.

A FEATHER FOR HER HAT (TRICK)
While there is no universal name for the occurrence, Tracy Grollman recorded a 'double hat trick' against Akron (April 20) as she tallied five goals and added three assists. It marked the second time in her career she recorded a double after posting three goals and three assists at Howard, Feb. 25, 2024. It also stands as the fourth instance in program history after Sydney Lawrence accomplished the feat twice in her career with both coming at Youngstown State. Lawrence's first came April 8, 2023, with four goals and three assists with the second coming April 21, 2024, in an eight-goal, five-assist showing.

ON A (G)ROLL
Trailing, 7-5, halfway through the second quarter against Akron, the Eagles got a spark from Tracy Grollman as she scored on a free-position shot. After an Akron goal, she scored with five seconds remaining in the half to bring EMU to within one at halftime. She then came out in the third and scored the next two goals to give EMU a 9-8 lead, its first since 5-4. The four-goal run by Grollman tied a school record for consecutive goals, a record she established in 2023 when she scored four in a row at Robert Morris (April 19, 2023). Mackenzie Blackwell joined her on the list last year with four at Delaware State (Feb. 28, 2024.

OH HENRY!
Emerson Henry recorded another big day for the Eagles against Akron as she tallied a career-high four goals and five points while adding one assist and five draw controls in the win. The five draw wins brought her season total to 85 and broke the program's freshman record set in 2023 when Mackenzie Blackwell tallied 83. Henry is now nine draw wins behind tying Blackwell for the overall single-season record of 94 that was recorded in 2024.

THE WIZARD OF WOZ
Annika Wozney recorded a career-high five caused turnovers in the game with Akron, a total that also tied the single-game record at Eastern Michigan while tying for the most in a single game by any player in the MAC this year. The record was set twice last year by Sydney Lawrence, who tallied five against both Robert Morris (April 27, 2024) and Xavier (April 17, 2024). Overall, Wozney now has 18 career caused turnovers, leaving her two away from joining Lawrence as the only player with 20+ caused turnovers in a single season.

PORTER'S ICE CREAM PARLOR
Maddie Porter is no stranger to scooping up ground balls as the sophomore collected three more against Akron to bring her season total to 64, which bettered her own single-season record of 63 set last year. The national leader in ground balls in 2024 and the current leader this year, Porter is averaging 4.27 scoops per game and ranks first nationally among all active NCAA Division I players in the category.

BLACKWELL'S VINYL STORE
Mackenzie Blackwell is no stranger to program records as she entered the season as the record holder in seven different categories, all of which she set in 2024. Following the Akron game (April 20), Blackwell continued to reset the standard in four categories to bring her total to five records this season:
» 54 goals (was 49)
» 12 hat tricks (was 10)
» 59 points (was 54)
» 119 shots (was 89; broke two weeks ago)
» 78 shots on goal (was 72)

MORE MILESTONES
Already the single-season record holder with 157 saves, Maddie Porter is closing in on a career milestone as she has stopped 288 shots, leaving her 12 away from becoming the first EMU player to record 300 saves in a career.

FASHION TREND
Two more hat tricks were added to the total last week against Akron as the Eagles now have 25 on the year after Tracy Grollman and Emerson Henry scored five and four goals, respectively. The single-season record for hat tricks (it was 20 in 2024) has come from the play of seven Eagles, including Mackenzie Blackwell (12), Katheryn Wilson (five), Grollman (three), Henry (two), Abby Alderman, Payton Bloedow, and Kyleigh Dill.

MORE THAN HATS
Mackenzie Blackwell has played in all 47 games in program history and has tallied a school record 142 goals, 80 more than any other EMU player. Through the game with Akron (April 20), Blackwell has recorded a hat trick in 12-of-15 games played in 2025 and 29-of-47 career games (61.7 percent). Additionally, she has scored multiple goals in 37-of-47 games (78.7 percent) while scoring at least one goal in 42-of-47 games (89.4 percent).

CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT
Defensively, the Eagles have allowed 159 goals this season, an average of 10.61 per game, which is 20 fewer than they did last year through 15 games (179). At the current rate, the defense in on pace to allow 168 goals, which would better the school record by 23 goals (191 in 2024).

CLIMBING HIGHER
Offensively, the Eagles have scored a program-record 180 goals this year, 15 more than they did through 15 games last year (165). The 180 goals also have surpassed the 176 goals scored all of last season (16 games).

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).

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
Although Eastern will continue its season at the MAC Tournament with a semifinal appearance Thursday, May 1, that is all the team currently knows. The location, time, and opponent will be determined based upon the results of the three games played this weekend throughout the MAC. A full bracket and schedule of games, along with ticket information, will be available on GetSomeMACtion.com and EMUEagles.com Sunday night.

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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Players Mentioned

Abby Alderman

Amber Alderman

Savannah Berner

Mackenzie Blackwell

Payton Bloedow

Samantha Borgert

Stella Burke

Kelsea Dague

Kyleigh Dill

Tracy Grollman

Emerson Henry

Sydney Howard

Roya Khaleeli

Sydney Lawrence

Maddy Porter

Avery Schwab

Laurelle Weisbrod

Katheryn Wilson

Annika Wozney

Eastern Michigan Athletics