Eastern Michigan Athletics
Three Eagles Named MAC Lacrosse Players of the Week
2/17/2026 5:12:00 PM | Lacrosse
Dague (offensive), Low (defensive), and Porter (goalkeeper) each honored
CLEVELAND, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The Mid-American Conference announced its weekly awards for lacrosse today, Feb. 17, with three members of the Eastern Michigan University team earning recognition as Kelsea Dague was named the MAC Co-Offensive Player of the Week, Karly Low as named the MAC Defensive Player of the Week, and Maddy Porter was named the MAC Goalkeeper of the Week. The trio played vital roles in the Eagles (3-1) sweeping two home contests last week to record the best start in program history.
The weekly awards were the first earned this year by the Eagles while Porter (Montrose, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) garnered her fifth career honor that included three goalkeeper awards in 2025 and one defensive accolade in 2024 before the goalkeeper award was created. Dague (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield), who shared the award with Ava Connaughton of the University of Massachusetts, and Low (Owen Sound, Ontario/Owen Sound District Secondary) each earned their first career honors from the MAC with Dague's award the 10th in program history and Low's the sixth.
Dague, who sat out the entire 2025 season with an injury, recorded her first goals, assist, and points of the 2026 season as she tallied seven points on six goals and one assist that included two hat tricks and the late game-winner in a come-from-behind victory over Xavier University (Feb. 14), 9-7, to help the Eagles finish the week with a 2-0 record. Dague, who had not scored since the 2024 MAC Tournament (May 2), opened the week with a hat trick in the 14-11 win over Lindenwood University (Feb. 11), marking her first hat trick since April 14, 2024, when she scored four against Central Michigan, before coming back to score another hat trick in the win against Xavier while adding one assist. The only player to score multiple goals in the 9-7 win over Xavier, Dague added one ground ball, one caused turnover, and one draw control in the two games to help the Eagles to a 3-1 record and the best start in program history that includes the team's first 3-0 start in home games.
Low was huge on the defensive side of things for the Eagles as Eastern won a pair of games to move to a program-best 3-1 start that includes a program-best 3-0 home start to the season. In the win over Lindenwood, Low caused two turnovers and collected three ground balls. One game later, she stepped up her play as she collected five ground balls and caused two more turnovers to help EMU come from behind to erase a two-goal deficit in the fourth for a two-goal win. The five ground balls stand as a career high while her two caused turnovers marked the second and third-consecutive games she has hit the mark.
Porter collected two more wins in the cage as she stopped 18 shots and allowed 18 goals in games against Lindenwood (W, 14-11) and Xavier (W, 9-7) at home while grabbing 10 ground balls, four caused turnovers, and her first career draw control. Against the Lions, she halted 10 shots while collecting three ground balls and coming out of her crease for two caused turnovers while also securing a draw control after running to the loose ball that had been batted back into the zone where he raced to the ball ahead of the Lion player. In the game with the Musketeers, she added eight more saves, seven ground balls, and two caused turnovers while allowing just two goals in the second and no goals in the final 12:47 of the game to help EMU come from two goals down to win by two.
Eastern returns to action Wednesday, Feb. 18, when they travel to Buffalo, N.Y., to take on the Golden Griffins of Canisius University. The game is slated for a 3 p.m. start at the Demske Sports Complex and will be streamed live on GoGriffs.com.
Follow Us
For updates on EMU Lacrosse, continue to check EMUEagles.com or follow the team on Instagram, @EMU_Lacrosse, and X, @EMU_Lacrosse.
2026 MAC Lacrosse Players of the Week • Feb. 17
Offensive • Kelsea Dague (EMU) / Ava Connaughton (UMass)
Defensive • Karly Low (EMU)
Goalkeeper • Maddy Porter (EMU)
2026 MAC Honors Earned
Offensive • Kelsea Dague (co, Feb. 17)
Defensive • Karly Low (Feb. 17)
Goalkeeper • Maddy Porter (Feb. 17)
The weekly awards were the first earned this year by the Eagles while Porter (Montrose, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) garnered her fifth career honor that included three goalkeeper awards in 2025 and one defensive accolade in 2024 before the goalkeeper award was created. Dague (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield), who shared the award with Ava Connaughton of the University of Massachusetts, and Low (Owen Sound, Ontario/Owen Sound District Secondary) each earned their first career honors from the MAC with Dague's award the 10th in program history and Low's the sixth.
Dague, who sat out the entire 2025 season with an injury, recorded her first goals, assist, and points of the 2026 season as she tallied seven points on six goals and one assist that included two hat tricks and the late game-winner in a come-from-behind victory over Xavier University (Feb. 14), 9-7, to help the Eagles finish the week with a 2-0 record. Dague, who had not scored since the 2024 MAC Tournament (May 2), opened the week with a hat trick in the 14-11 win over Lindenwood University (Feb. 11), marking her first hat trick since April 14, 2024, when she scored four against Central Michigan, before coming back to score another hat trick in the win against Xavier while adding one assist. The only player to score multiple goals in the 9-7 win over Xavier, Dague added one ground ball, one caused turnover, and one draw control in the two games to help the Eagles to a 3-1 record and the best start in program history that includes the team's first 3-0 start in home games.
Low was huge on the defensive side of things for the Eagles as Eastern won a pair of games to move to a program-best 3-1 start that includes a program-best 3-0 home start to the season. In the win over Lindenwood, Low caused two turnovers and collected three ground balls. One game later, she stepped up her play as she collected five ground balls and caused two more turnovers to help EMU come from behind to erase a two-goal deficit in the fourth for a two-goal win. The five ground balls stand as a career high while her two caused turnovers marked the second and third-consecutive games she has hit the mark.
Porter collected two more wins in the cage as she stopped 18 shots and allowed 18 goals in games against Lindenwood (W, 14-11) and Xavier (W, 9-7) at home while grabbing 10 ground balls, four caused turnovers, and her first career draw control. Against the Lions, she halted 10 shots while collecting three ground balls and coming out of her crease for two caused turnovers while also securing a draw control after running to the loose ball that had been batted back into the zone where he raced to the ball ahead of the Lion player. In the game with the Musketeers, she added eight more saves, seven ground balls, and two caused turnovers while allowing just two goals in the second and no goals in the final 12:47 of the game to help EMU come from two goals down to win by two.
Eastern returns to action Wednesday, Feb. 18, when they travel to Buffalo, N.Y., to take on the Golden Griffins of Canisius University. The game is slated for a 3 p.m. start at the Demske Sports Complex and will be streamed live on GoGriffs.com.
Follow Us
For updates on EMU Lacrosse, continue to check EMUEagles.com or follow the team on Instagram, @EMU_Lacrosse, and X, @EMU_Lacrosse.
2026 MAC Lacrosse Players of the Week • Feb. 17
Offensive • Kelsea Dague (EMU) / Ava Connaughton (UMass)
Defensive • Karly Low (EMU)
Goalkeeper • Maddy Porter (EMU)
2026 MAC Honors Earned
Offensive • Kelsea Dague (co, Feb. 17)
Defensive • Karly Low (Feb. 17)
Goalkeeper • Maddy Porter (Feb. 17)
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