Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, April 11
Ypsilanti, Mich.
3 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
vs
Oregon
Photo by: Walt Middleton Photography
Lacrosse Hosts Oregon, Travels to Kent State
4/9/2025 1:48:00 PM | Lacrosse
Eagles looking to build upon big home win over Detroit Mercy
| Game #13: vs. OREGON | |
| Date | Friday, April 11 | 3 p.m |
| Venue | Scicluna Field | Ypsilanti, Mich. |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes |
| Live | Watch (ESPN+) | Live Stats |
| @EMU_Lacrosse | @EMUAthletics | |
| Game #14: at KENT STATE | |
| Date | Sunday, April 13 | 1 p.m |
| Venue | Dix Stadium | Kent, Ohio |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes |
| Live | Watch (BoxCast) | Live Stats |
| @EMU_Lacrosse | @EMUAthletics | |
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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University lacrosse team will play a pair of games this week, including a home non-conference game against the University of Oregon Friday, April 11, and a road Mid-American Conference contest at Kent State University Sunday, April 13, as the Eagles enter their final quarter of the regular season. The Eagles (6-6, 2-2 MAC) will step out of league play to welcome the Ducks (5-8, 0-6 B1G) to town for a 3 p.m. game at Scicluna Field that will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Tom Helmer on the call. The weekend ends with the Eagles traveling to Dix Stadium in Kent, Ohio, for a 1 p.m. contest with the Golden Flashes (6-7, 1-2 MAC) live on Boxcast.
LACROSSE OUT CANCER
Friday's game with Oregon will serve as the team's LaCROSSe Out Cancer game, an event dedicated to raising awareness and support for the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation. The game holds extra meaning to the Eagles as current freshman Ainsley McLain is a pediatric cancer survivor after being diagnosed in 2016. To learn more about McLain's journey, watch an interview with her here: https://youtu.be/8lHE7GK95Nk. To pledge financial support, click: https://cure.pcrf-kids.org/team/631071.
HATS OFF TO YOU!
It will be a busy day on campus Friday, April 11, as EMU tennis (1 p.m.), baseball (2 p.m.), and lacrosse (3 p.m.) all compete before football holds its spring game (6:30 p.m.). With all the action around campus, EMU Athletics wants to thank YOU, the fan, with our Hats Off To You Day! Fans that attend one of three afternoon contests will receive a free Block E snapback hat. And that is not all; fans that attend all three games will be entered in a drawing for a unique Block E adidas hoodie at the spring game. Fans can get more details here!
OPENING DRAWS
» The Eagles are 6-6 overall and 2-2 in MAC play following their 13-8 defeat of Detroit Mercy (April 6).
» The MAC announced its weekly awards April 8 with Mackenzie Blackwell (offensive) and Maddie Porter (goalkeeper) each being recognized. The awards are the second of the season for Blackwell and third for Porter.
» Eastern is entering the final quarter of its regular season schedule with four games remaining on the 16-game slate. Of those four remaining games, three will be played at home (April 11 vs. Oregon, April 20 vs. Akron, and April 25 vs. Marquette for Senior Day).
» With six wins, the Eagles are one victory away from tying the single-season record for wins in a season after posting a 7-9 mark last year. EMU was 2-14 in 2023, its inaugural season.
» With UDM and Robert Morris both falling for the first time in league play, the MAC standings feature a log jam as Akron leads the way at 3-1 with four teams each having won twice (UDM and RMU are 2-1 while EMU and CMU are both 2-2).
» It has been a tale of two cities in MAC play for EMU as it is 2-0 at home and 0-2 on the road. Additionally, the Eagles have won both games by an average of 9.0 goals while losing twice by one goal each.
» Mackenzie Blackwell tallied three goals against Michigan for her 26th career hat trick (she secured her 27th with five goals against UDM) and her second this year against a nationally ranked opponent. After scoring three total goals in three combined games against ranked teams in 2023 and 2024, Blackwell tallied three at No. 11 Notre Dame (Feb. 15) before adding three at No. 16 Michigan (April 2).
» Mackenzie Blackwell, already the EMU single-season record holder with 49 goals and 54 points (both in 2024), is closing on breaking those records as she needs seven more goals (has 42) and eight points (has 46) to equal her own marks. Maddie Porter (124 saves) is eight away from tying her record of 132 set last year as well.
» 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.
AND THE AWARD GOES TO...
The MAC announced its weekly award winners April 8 with two Eagles earning recognition for their play after EMU fell at No. 16 Michigan (17-5) and defeated Detroit Mercy (13-8) with Mackenzie Blackwell being named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week and Maddie Porter being named the MAC Goalkeeper of the Week.
BLACKWELL HONORED
Mackenzie Blackwell earned the MAC Offensive Player of the Week honor for the second time (March 7) this season after scoring eight goals on the week, including three at No. 16 Michigan and five against Detroit Mercy. Blackwell, who earned her fourth career weekly honor from the MAC, recorded a hat trick against the Wolverines before netting five to help hand the Titans their first MAC loss in 2025.
PORTER'S PRIZE
Maddie Porter was honored with the goalkeeper award for the third time in 2025 after recording 18 saves, including 11 against Detroit Mercy, 11 ground balls, and three caused turnovers. Along with her solid save total against the Titans, she recorded seven ground balls, which ranks fourth in a single game and second in a MAC game among all EMU players. Porter, who now has four career weekly honors from the MAC, helped limit UDM to its lowest goal total in a league game this year and EMU's first back-to-back instance of holding a MAC team to under 10 goals.
KNOW THE FOE: OREGON
The Ducks enter the weekend with a 5-8 record and have lost six consecutive games with all coming in Big Ten play, including the last three against nationally ranked teams in No. 6 Maryland (L, 16-4), No. 5 Johns Hopkins (L, 22-8), and No. 16 Michigan (L, 14-9). Oregon, who holds wins over common opponents Central Michigan (14-3) and San Diego State (17-16), is led by a pair of 30-goal players in Bri Carrasquillo (33 goals) and Anna Simmons (31 goals) as 15 different Ducks have scored at least one goal this season. Defensively, Paige Crowther leads the way with 74 saves and an 11.86 goals-against average, making a save 40.4 percent of the time.
IN THE SERIES: EAGLES vs. DUCKS
Eastern Michigan and Oregon are meeting for the first time. The game marks the fourth game all-time for the Eagles against a member of the Big Ten Conference after having played Michigan three times previously.
POWER 4
As it stands, the 'power' (football) conferences include teams in the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC. In EMU's first season (2023), the Eagles played one 'power' school (Michigan) before playing two in 2024 (Michigan and Notre Dame). With the addition of lacrosse to the Big 12 this year, the game with Oregon, now a member of the Big Ten, will mark the fifth 'power conference' foe the Eagles will face after having already played Big 12 members San Diego State (Feb. 9) and Cincinnati (March 9), Notre Dame (Feb. 15) out of the ACC, and Michigan (April 2) from the Big Ten. While EMU is in search of its first win over one of the four leagues, it has come close this season with a four-goal loss at Cincinnati (13-9) and a five-goal home loss to SDSU (15-10).
KNOW THE FOE: KENT STATE
The Golden Flashes hold a 6-7 overall record and a 1-2 mark in the MAC after falling on the road, 14-9, at Akron (April 6). Kent State, who plays at Louisville, April 9, opened its league schedule with a 10-9 win at Central Michigan before falling at home, 13-10, to Detroit Mercy. Zayda Crumpton and Lizzie Lundeen are the top two scorers for the KSU offense with 30 and 26 goals, respectively, while 15 different players have scored at least one goal this season. Defensively, Sydney Davis has seen most of the action in goal for KSU where she has posted 73 saves, stopped 46.8 percent of the shots she has faced, and holds a 10.14 goals-against average.
IN THE SERIES: EAGLES vs. GOLDEN FLASHES
Eastern and Kent State are set to meet for the third time in series and the first time playing in Kent, Ohio, after the two teams split the first two meetings in Ypsilanti. The Golden Flashes won the first game, 19-9, April 12, 2023, before the Eagles scratched out a close 12-11 win at home, March 31, 2024.
IN THE STANDINGS: LOG JAM
With three weeks to play remaining in the MAC season, the regular season title and all four spots in the MAC Tournament remain in play as a log jam has occurred in the standings. While Akron leads at 3-1, four teams have won twice with Detroit Mercy and Robert Morris, who are tied for second with 2-1 records, playing at UDM this week. Eastern and Central Michigan are tied for fourth at 2-2 while Kent State is 1-2 and Youngstown State is 0-3. All seven teams remain in contention for a top four finish and a spot in the MAC Tournament.
TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADERS!
As a team, the Eagles lead the MAC in two statistical categories following games played April 6. EMU currently tops the charts in draw controls per game (13.92) and saves percentage (.498). Individually, Mackenzie Blackwell leads the league in two categories, including goals (3.50) and shots (7.83), while Maddie Porter ranks first in save percentage (.502) and ground balls per game (3.92).
NATIONALLY KNOWN • TEAM
The Eagles are ranked in the NCAA Division I top 50 in five statistical categories following games played April 6. EMU ranks 11th in saves percentage (.498), 23rd in fewest fouls committed per game (10.50), 37th in goals-against average (10.50), 44th in ground balls per game (16.92), and 50th in draw controls per game (13.92).
NATIONALLY KNOWN • INDIVIDUAL
On an individual basis, four Eagles find themselves among the top 50 in NCAA Division I with Maddie Porter leading the way in four categories, including second in ground balls (3.92), 12th in both saves per game (10.33) and saves percentage (.502), and 35th in goals-against average (10.46). Mackenzie Blackwell ranks 17th in shots per game (7.83) and 23rd in goals per game (3.5) while Emerson Henry ranks 37th in draw controls per game (5.92) and Katheryn Wilson is 50th in free-position shot percentage (58.3).
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 14th in goals per game average at 2.95 and 45th with 130 career goals scored while also ranking 26th in draw controls per game at 4.68. Maddie Porter ranks first in NCAA Division I and 10th among all collegiate divisions with 4.07 ground balls per game while sitting 24th with 110 total ground balls and 47th with 256 total saves among Division I players.
AHEAD OF PACE
In 2023, the Eagles scored 42 goals in their first four MAC contests and, one year later, duplicated that mark with 42 in the first four of 2024. Through the same number of games in 2025, the Eagles have tallied 50 goals, including 31 at home with their 19-6 win over Youngstown State (March 23) and 13-8 over Detroit Mercy (April 6). The Eagles will need to score 10 goals at Kent State to tie the five-game mark set last year when the team tallied 60.
GIVE ME FIVE!
Mackenzie Blackwell tallied a season-high-tying five goals in the win over Detroit Mercy (April 6) to record 10th hat trick of the season and the 27th of her career. Blackwell, who has tallied a hat trick in all four career games against the Titans for 15 total goals, recorded at least five goals for the sixth time in her career and the second time this year after posting five at Gardner-Webb (Feb. 27). Overall, Blackwell has recorded a hat trick in 13 MAC games with five or more goals three times.
STEPPING UP
The game at No. 16 Michigan (April 2) marked the fifth time the Eagles played a nationally ranked foe with three games against Michigan and two against Notre Dame. In the first three games (at No. 17 Michigan in 2023, at No. 7 Notre Dame, and home against No. 5 U-M in 2024), Mackenzie Blackwell tallied three total goals. In the two games this year, Blackwell raised her game as she netted hat tricks against both teams, including three at No. 11 Notre Dame (Feb. 15) before scoring three on U-M.
FASHION TREND
Mackenzie Blackwell added two more hat tricks to her total last week, including her 10th of the season (vs. Detroit Mercy) to tie her own single-season record, to give her hat tricks in 10-of-12 games. With those two additions, the team has tallied 19 hat tricks this year, one behind the single-season program record of 20 recorded last year. Along with Blackwell (10), the other Eagles that have recorded a hat trick this year include Katheryn Wilson (four), Tracy Grollman (two), Payton Bloedow, Kyleigh Dill, and Emerson Henry.
MORE THAN HATS
Mackenzie Blackwell has played in all 44 games in program history and has tallied a school record 130 goals, 68 more than any other EMU player. Through the game against Detroit Mercy (April 6), Blackwell has recorded a hat trick in 10-of-12 games played in 2025 and 27-of-44 career games (61.4 percent). Additionally, she has scored multiple goals in 35-of-44 games (79.5 percent) while scoring at least one goal in 39-of-44 games (88.6 percent).
CHASING VINYL
Already the single-season leader in many offensive categories, Mackenzie Blackwell has or is close to eclipsing three school records. The program record holder with 49 goals scored in 2024, Blackwell sits second with 42 scored his year, leaving her eight away from breaking the record and becoming the first Eagle to record 50+ goals in a single season. After tying her single-season mark with her 10th hat trick, she is eight points away from her single-season points mark of 54 (49-5) set last year. Finally, she has fired a single-season record 94 shots this year, leaving her six away from becoming the first EMU player to record 100+ shots in a season.
RECORDS IN REACH
Two other Eagles are chasing records as well. Maddie Porter has tallied 47 ground balls this year and, while she is 16 from tying her own record of 63 set last year, she is three away from becoming the only EMU player to have multiple seasons with 50+ ground balls to her credit. She also is eight saves away (124) from tying her record of 132 set last year. Emerson Henry has recorded 71 draw wins this year, which not only ranks third on the single-season list, it also leaves her 12 away from tying for the EMU freshman record Mackenzie Blackwell set in 2023 with 83.
SOME OF BOTH
In the game with Detroit Mercy (April 6), five Eagles recorded at least one goal and one assist in the contest with Tracy Grollman leading the way with five points on two goals and three assists, leaving her one goal shy of her second career double-hat trick. Joining Grollman with at least one of each category against the Titans was Emerson Henry, who scored two goals and added one assist, and the trio of Abby Alderman, Amber Alderman, and Katheryn Wilson, each of whom tallied one goal and one assist.
SCHWAB SETS UP
For the fourth time this season, Avery Schwab handed out two or more assists in a game as she dished a pair of helpers in the win over Detroit Mercy (April 6). With those two assists, Schwab brought her season total to 13, the third-highest total in EMU single-season history. She is six away from tying her own record of 19 helpers from last year and is the only EMU player to have recorded double-digit assists in three different seasons after opening her career with a then-record 11 helpers in 2023.
QUICK ON THE DRAW
Emerson Henry, who ranks second in the MAC and 37th nationally with 5.92 draw controls per game, had another outstanding performance in the circle as she tallied 11 wins against Detroit Mercy (April 6) to help EMU to a 17-7 advantage. Henry, after recording 12 against Youngstown State (March 23), now has two games of 11+ draw controls this year, joining Mackenzie Blackwell as the only EMU players to do so in a single year in MAC games. She also has two of the top totals in a single game at EMU as her 12 against YSU ranks tied for second and her 11 against the Titans tied for fourth.
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.
WORKING 10 TO 5
In the game with the Titans (April 6), Maddie Porter finished with 11 saves and seven ground balls to mark the fourth time this season and the seventh of her career that she stopped 10+ shots and scooped 5+ ground balls in the same game. Previously this season, she accomplished the feat against San Diego State (18 & 7), No. 11 Notre Dame (11 & 5), and Robert Morris (13 & 7). In her freshman season (2024), she accomplished the feat against Marquette (20 & 9), UDM (10 & 11), and Xavier (13 & 6).
SUPER SCOOPER
Maddie Porter recorded four ground balls at No. 16 Michigan (April 2) to bring her career total to 103, making her the first EMU player in program history to reach the century mark. Ranked first in the MAC and second nationally with 3.92 ground balls per game this year, Porter, the 2024 NCAA leader, is averaging 4.06 per game in her career, which ranks as the highest total among all active NCAA Division I players and 10th among all active collegiate players, regardless of division.
KEEP(ER) IT 100
With her four ground balls at Michigan, Maddie Porter has now crossed the century mark in a pair of categories this season. Prior to her ground balls mark, she reached 100 saves for the season after stopping nine at Central Michigan (March 30). With seven more at Michigan (April 2), Porter has tallied 113 saves in 2025, making her the only player in EMU history to have posted 100+ saves in multiple seasons after recording a school-record 132 in 2024.
STINGY SCORING
Eastern held Detroit Mercy to eight goals (April 6) to mark the fourth time this season the Eagles have limited a foe to single-digit goals and, for the first time in program history, done so in back-to-back home games after defeating Youngstown State (March 23), 19-6. The Eagles, who have accomplished the feat 10 times in program history, have done so in four games overall with a record two coming this year after winning, 12-7, against Delaware State (March 7) in 2023, and 15-8 over Butler (March 15) last year.
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 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).
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
One game is scheduled for next week and, looking at the MAC standings, it could prove to be a big showdown as the Eagles will welcome the University of Akron to Scicluna Field, April 20, for a 1 p.m. contest live on ESPN+. Akron, who does not play a MAC game this weekend, paces the league at 3-1 and is the leader to host the MAC Tournament, May 1-3, should the standings not change.
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 will play a pair of games this week, including a home non-conference game against the University of Oregon Friday, April 11, and a road Mid-American Conference contest at Kent State University Sunday, April 13, as the Eagles enter their final quarter of the regular season. The Eagles (6-6, 2-2 MAC) will step out of league play to welcome the Ducks (5-8, 0-6 B1G) to town for a 3 p.m. game at Scicluna Field that will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Tom Helmer on the call. The weekend ends with the Eagles traveling to Dix Stadium in Kent, Ohio, for a 1 p.m. contest with the Golden Flashes (6-7, 1-2 MAC) live on Boxcast.
LACROSSE OUT CANCER
Friday's game with Oregon will serve as the team's LaCROSSe Out Cancer game, an event dedicated to raising awareness and support for the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation. The game holds extra meaning to the Eagles as current freshman Ainsley McLain is a pediatric cancer survivor after being diagnosed in 2016. To learn more about McLain's journey, watch an interview with her here: https://youtu.be/8lHE7GK95Nk. To pledge financial support, click: https://cure.pcrf-kids.org/team/631071.
HATS OFF TO YOU!
It will be a busy day on campus Friday, April 11, as EMU tennis (1 p.m.), baseball (2 p.m.), and lacrosse (3 p.m.) all compete before football holds its spring game (6:30 p.m.). With all the action around campus, EMU Athletics wants to thank YOU, the fan, with our Hats Off To You Day! Fans that attend one of three afternoon contests will receive a free Block E snapback hat. And that is not all; fans that attend all three games will be entered in a drawing for a unique Block E adidas hoodie at the spring game. Fans can get more details here!
OPENING DRAWS
» The Eagles are 6-6 overall and 2-2 in MAC play following their 13-8 defeat of Detroit Mercy (April 6).
» The MAC announced its weekly awards April 8 with Mackenzie Blackwell (offensive) and Maddie Porter (goalkeeper) each being recognized. The awards are the second of the season for Blackwell and third for Porter.
» Eastern is entering the final quarter of its regular season schedule with four games remaining on the 16-game slate. Of those four remaining games, three will be played at home (April 11 vs. Oregon, April 20 vs. Akron, and April 25 vs. Marquette for Senior Day).
» With six wins, the Eagles are one victory away from tying the single-season record for wins in a season after posting a 7-9 mark last year. EMU was 2-14 in 2023, its inaugural season.
» With UDM and Robert Morris both falling for the first time in league play, the MAC standings feature a log jam as Akron leads the way at 3-1 with four teams each having won twice (UDM and RMU are 2-1 while EMU and CMU are both 2-2).
» It has been a tale of two cities in MAC play for EMU as it is 2-0 at home and 0-2 on the road. Additionally, the Eagles have won both games by an average of 9.0 goals while losing twice by one goal each.
» Mackenzie Blackwell tallied three goals against Michigan for her 26th career hat trick (she secured her 27th with five goals against UDM) and her second this year against a nationally ranked opponent. After scoring three total goals in three combined games against ranked teams in 2023 and 2024, Blackwell tallied three at No. 11 Notre Dame (Feb. 15) before adding three at No. 16 Michigan (April 2).
» Mackenzie Blackwell, already the EMU single-season record holder with 49 goals and 54 points (both in 2024), is closing on breaking those records as she needs seven more goals (has 42) and eight points (has 46) to equal her own marks. Maddie Porter (124 saves) is eight away from tying her record of 132 set last year as well.
» 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.
AND THE AWARD GOES TO...
The MAC announced its weekly award winners April 8 with two Eagles earning recognition for their play after EMU fell at No. 16 Michigan (17-5) and defeated Detroit Mercy (13-8) with Mackenzie Blackwell being named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week and Maddie Porter being named the MAC Goalkeeper of the Week.
BLACKWELL HONORED
Mackenzie Blackwell earned the MAC Offensive Player of the Week honor for the second time (March 7) this season after scoring eight goals on the week, including three at No. 16 Michigan and five against Detroit Mercy. Blackwell, who earned her fourth career weekly honor from the MAC, recorded a hat trick against the Wolverines before netting five to help hand the Titans their first MAC loss in 2025.
PORTER'S PRIZE
Maddie Porter was honored with the goalkeeper award for the third time in 2025 after recording 18 saves, including 11 against Detroit Mercy, 11 ground balls, and three caused turnovers. Along with her solid save total against the Titans, she recorded seven ground balls, which ranks fourth in a single game and second in a MAC game among all EMU players. Porter, who now has four career weekly honors from the MAC, helped limit UDM to its lowest goal total in a league game this year and EMU's first back-to-back instance of holding a MAC team to under 10 goals.
KNOW THE FOE: OREGON
The Ducks enter the weekend with a 5-8 record and have lost six consecutive games with all coming in Big Ten play, including the last three against nationally ranked teams in No. 6 Maryland (L, 16-4), No. 5 Johns Hopkins (L, 22-8), and No. 16 Michigan (L, 14-9). Oregon, who holds wins over common opponents Central Michigan (14-3) and San Diego State (17-16), is led by a pair of 30-goal players in Bri Carrasquillo (33 goals) and Anna Simmons (31 goals) as 15 different Ducks have scored at least one goal this season. Defensively, Paige Crowther leads the way with 74 saves and an 11.86 goals-against average, making a save 40.4 percent of the time.
IN THE SERIES: EAGLES vs. DUCKS
Eastern Michigan and Oregon are meeting for the first time. The game marks the fourth game all-time for the Eagles against a member of the Big Ten Conference after having played Michigan three times previously.
POWER 4
As it stands, the 'power' (football) conferences include teams in the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC. In EMU's first season (2023), the Eagles played one 'power' school (Michigan) before playing two in 2024 (Michigan and Notre Dame). With the addition of lacrosse to the Big 12 this year, the game with Oregon, now a member of the Big Ten, will mark the fifth 'power conference' foe the Eagles will face after having already played Big 12 members San Diego State (Feb. 9) and Cincinnati (March 9), Notre Dame (Feb. 15) out of the ACC, and Michigan (April 2) from the Big Ten. While EMU is in search of its first win over one of the four leagues, it has come close this season with a four-goal loss at Cincinnati (13-9) and a five-goal home loss to SDSU (15-10).
KNOW THE FOE: KENT STATE
The Golden Flashes hold a 6-7 overall record and a 1-2 mark in the MAC after falling on the road, 14-9, at Akron (April 6). Kent State, who plays at Louisville, April 9, opened its league schedule with a 10-9 win at Central Michigan before falling at home, 13-10, to Detroit Mercy. Zayda Crumpton and Lizzie Lundeen are the top two scorers for the KSU offense with 30 and 26 goals, respectively, while 15 different players have scored at least one goal this season. Defensively, Sydney Davis has seen most of the action in goal for KSU where she has posted 73 saves, stopped 46.8 percent of the shots she has faced, and holds a 10.14 goals-against average.
IN THE SERIES: EAGLES vs. GOLDEN FLASHES
Eastern and Kent State are set to meet for the third time in series and the first time playing in Kent, Ohio, after the two teams split the first two meetings in Ypsilanti. The Golden Flashes won the first game, 19-9, April 12, 2023, before the Eagles scratched out a close 12-11 win at home, March 31, 2024.
IN THE STANDINGS: LOG JAM
With three weeks to play remaining in the MAC season, the regular season title and all four spots in the MAC Tournament remain in play as a log jam has occurred in the standings. While Akron leads at 3-1, four teams have won twice with Detroit Mercy and Robert Morris, who are tied for second with 2-1 records, playing at UDM this week. Eastern and Central Michigan are tied for fourth at 2-2 while Kent State is 1-2 and Youngstown State is 0-3. All seven teams remain in contention for a top four finish and a spot in the MAC Tournament.
TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADERS!
As a team, the Eagles lead the MAC in two statistical categories following games played April 6. EMU currently tops the charts in draw controls per game (13.92) and saves percentage (.498). Individually, Mackenzie Blackwell leads the league in two categories, including goals (3.50) and shots (7.83), while Maddie Porter ranks first in save percentage (.502) and ground balls per game (3.92).
NATIONALLY KNOWN • TEAM
The Eagles are ranked in the NCAA Division I top 50 in five statistical categories following games played April 6. EMU ranks 11th in saves percentage (.498), 23rd in fewest fouls committed per game (10.50), 37th in goals-against average (10.50), 44th in ground balls per game (16.92), and 50th in draw controls per game (13.92).
NATIONALLY KNOWN • INDIVIDUAL
On an individual basis, four Eagles find themselves among the top 50 in NCAA Division I with Maddie Porter leading the way in four categories, including second in ground balls (3.92), 12th in both saves per game (10.33) and saves percentage (.502), and 35th in goals-against average (10.46). Mackenzie Blackwell ranks 17th in shots per game (7.83) and 23rd in goals per game (3.5) while Emerson Henry ranks 37th in draw controls per game (5.92) and Katheryn Wilson is 50th in free-position shot percentage (58.3).
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 14th in goals per game average at 2.95 and 45th with 130 career goals scored while also ranking 26th in draw controls per game at 4.68. Maddie Porter ranks first in NCAA Division I and 10th among all collegiate divisions with 4.07 ground balls per game while sitting 24th with 110 total ground balls and 47th with 256 total saves among Division I players.
AHEAD OF PACE
In 2023, the Eagles scored 42 goals in their first four MAC contests and, one year later, duplicated that mark with 42 in the first four of 2024. Through the same number of games in 2025, the Eagles have tallied 50 goals, including 31 at home with their 19-6 win over Youngstown State (March 23) and 13-8 over Detroit Mercy (April 6). The Eagles will need to score 10 goals at Kent State to tie the five-game mark set last year when the team tallied 60.
GIVE ME FIVE!
Mackenzie Blackwell tallied a season-high-tying five goals in the win over Detroit Mercy (April 6) to record 10th hat trick of the season and the 27th of her career. Blackwell, who has tallied a hat trick in all four career games against the Titans for 15 total goals, recorded at least five goals for the sixth time in her career and the second time this year after posting five at Gardner-Webb (Feb. 27). Overall, Blackwell has recorded a hat trick in 13 MAC games with five or more goals three times.
STEPPING UP
The game at No. 16 Michigan (April 2) marked the fifth time the Eagles played a nationally ranked foe with three games against Michigan and two against Notre Dame. In the first three games (at No. 17 Michigan in 2023, at No. 7 Notre Dame, and home against No. 5 U-M in 2024), Mackenzie Blackwell tallied three total goals. In the two games this year, Blackwell raised her game as she netted hat tricks against both teams, including three at No. 11 Notre Dame (Feb. 15) before scoring three on U-M.
FASHION TREND
Mackenzie Blackwell added two more hat tricks to her total last week, including her 10th of the season (vs. Detroit Mercy) to tie her own single-season record, to give her hat tricks in 10-of-12 games. With those two additions, the team has tallied 19 hat tricks this year, one behind the single-season program record of 20 recorded last year. Along with Blackwell (10), the other Eagles that have recorded a hat trick this year include Katheryn Wilson (four), Tracy Grollman (two), Payton Bloedow, Kyleigh Dill, and Emerson Henry.
MORE THAN HATS
Mackenzie Blackwell has played in all 44 games in program history and has tallied a school record 130 goals, 68 more than any other EMU player. Through the game against Detroit Mercy (April 6), Blackwell has recorded a hat trick in 10-of-12 games played in 2025 and 27-of-44 career games (61.4 percent). Additionally, she has scored multiple goals in 35-of-44 games (79.5 percent) while scoring at least one goal in 39-of-44 games (88.6 percent).
CHASING VINYL
Already the single-season leader in many offensive categories, Mackenzie Blackwell has or is close to eclipsing three school records. The program record holder with 49 goals scored in 2024, Blackwell sits second with 42 scored his year, leaving her eight away from breaking the record and becoming the first Eagle to record 50+ goals in a single season. After tying her single-season mark with her 10th hat trick, she is eight points away from her single-season points mark of 54 (49-5) set last year. Finally, she has fired a single-season record 94 shots this year, leaving her six away from becoming the first EMU player to record 100+ shots in a season.
RECORDS IN REACH
Two other Eagles are chasing records as well. Maddie Porter has tallied 47 ground balls this year and, while she is 16 from tying her own record of 63 set last year, she is three away from becoming the only EMU player to have multiple seasons with 50+ ground balls to her credit. She also is eight saves away (124) from tying her record of 132 set last year. Emerson Henry has recorded 71 draw wins this year, which not only ranks third on the single-season list, it also leaves her 12 away from tying for the EMU freshman record Mackenzie Blackwell set in 2023 with 83.
SOME OF BOTH
In the game with Detroit Mercy (April 6), five Eagles recorded at least one goal and one assist in the contest with Tracy Grollman leading the way with five points on two goals and three assists, leaving her one goal shy of her second career double-hat trick. Joining Grollman with at least one of each category against the Titans was Emerson Henry, who scored two goals and added one assist, and the trio of Abby Alderman, Amber Alderman, and Katheryn Wilson, each of whom tallied one goal and one assist.
SCHWAB SETS UP
For the fourth time this season, Avery Schwab handed out two or more assists in a game as she dished a pair of helpers in the win over Detroit Mercy (April 6). With those two assists, Schwab brought her season total to 13, the third-highest total in EMU single-season history. She is six away from tying her own record of 19 helpers from last year and is the only EMU player to have recorded double-digit assists in three different seasons after opening her career with a then-record 11 helpers in 2023.
QUICK ON THE DRAW
Emerson Henry, who ranks second in the MAC and 37th nationally with 5.92 draw controls per game, had another outstanding performance in the circle as she tallied 11 wins against Detroit Mercy (April 6) to help EMU to a 17-7 advantage. Henry, after recording 12 against Youngstown State (March 23), now has two games of 11+ draw controls this year, joining Mackenzie Blackwell as the only EMU players to do so in a single year in MAC games. She also has two of the top totals in a single game at EMU as her 12 against YSU ranks tied for second and her 11 against the Titans tied for fourth.
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.
WORKING 10 TO 5
In the game with the Titans (April 6), Maddie Porter finished with 11 saves and seven ground balls to mark the fourth time this season and the seventh of her career that she stopped 10+ shots and scooped 5+ ground balls in the same game. Previously this season, she accomplished the feat against San Diego State (18 & 7), No. 11 Notre Dame (11 & 5), and Robert Morris (13 & 7). In her freshman season (2024), she accomplished the feat against Marquette (20 & 9), UDM (10 & 11), and Xavier (13 & 6).
SUPER SCOOPER
Maddie Porter recorded four ground balls at No. 16 Michigan (April 2) to bring her career total to 103, making her the first EMU player in program history to reach the century mark. Ranked first in the MAC and second nationally with 3.92 ground balls per game this year, Porter, the 2024 NCAA leader, is averaging 4.06 per game in her career, which ranks as the highest total among all active NCAA Division I players and 10th among all active collegiate players, regardless of division.
KEEP(ER) IT 100
With her four ground balls at Michigan, Maddie Porter has now crossed the century mark in a pair of categories this season. Prior to her ground balls mark, she reached 100 saves for the season after stopping nine at Central Michigan (March 30). With seven more at Michigan (April 2), Porter has tallied 113 saves in 2025, making her the only player in EMU history to have posted 100+ saves in multiple seasons after recording a school-record 132 in 2024.
STINGY SCORING
Eastern held Detroit Mercy to eight goals (April 6) to mark the fourth time this season the Eagles have limited a foe to single-digit goals and, for the first time in program history, done so in back-to-back home games after defeating Youngstown State (March 23), 19-6. The Eagles, who have accomplished the feat 10 times in program history, have done so in four games overall with a record two coming this year after winning, 12-7, against Delaware State (March 7) in 2023, and 15-8 over Butler (March 15) last year.
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 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).
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
One game is scheduled for next week and, looking at the MAC standings, it could prove to be a big showdown as the Eagles will welcome the University of Akron to Scicluna Field, April 20, for a 1 p.m. contest live on ESPN+. Akron, who does not play a MAC game this weekend, paces the league at 3-1 and is the leader to host the MAC Tournament, May 1-3, should the standings not change.
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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