Eastern Hosts Robert Morris on Senior Day

GAME #15 \| vs. ROBERT MORRIS / SENIOR DAY
Date	Saturday, April 18 \| 1 p.m.
Venue	Scicluna Field \| Ypsilanti
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live	Live Statistics \| Watch (ESPN+)
Social Media	Instagram: @emu_Lacrosse \| Twitter: @EMU_Lacrosse

YPSILANTI (EMUEagles.com) – For the final time in 2026, the Eastern Michigan University lacrosse team will play a home game as the Eagles will welcome the Colonials of Robert Morris University to Scicluna Field for a Mid-American Conference game on Senior Day. The Eagles (8-6, 3-2 MAC) and Colonials (4-10, 2-3 MAC) will meet at 1 p.m. on ESPN+ with Eastern searching for its first win in five attempts against RMU while also looking to secure its program-record ninth victory of the season. Following the game, the EMU program will hold its Senior Day Ceremony on the field where it will recognize the contributions of 14 Eagles, a majority of whom made up the first full signing class in program history ahead of the program's inaugural season in 2023.

SENIOR SEND-OFF
The 14 seniors that will be honored following the conclusion of the game include Abby Alderman, Amber Alderman, Caitlin Beahm, Mackenzie Blackwell, Payton Bloedow, Samantha Borgert, Gina D'Alessio, Kelsea Dague, Kyleigh Dill, Mak Grisinger, Haley Hodak, Sanai James, Maggie McCabe, and Annika Wozney. The group, outside of transfers Bloedow and James, came to Eastern ahead of the 2023 season and have been involved in all 64 games played in program history.

OPENING DRAWS
» Eastern is 8-6 overall and 3-2 in MAC play following its 14-4 home loss to visiting UMass, April 11.
» A win over Robert Morris (April 18) would give Eastern a program-record ninth victory this season, surpassing the eight earned in 2025 (8-9). Additionally, it would improve the Eagles to 4-2 in league play and mark the third consecutive season Eastern has won four MAC games with one more to play (at Youngstown State).
» Eastern is 0-4 all-time against Robert Morris and 0-1 when hosting the Colonials in Ypsilanti. A win this weekend would mark the sixth time in 2026 the Eagles have defeated an opponent for the first time and the fourth against a team it has played in a previous season, joining the wins over Xavier, Oregon, and Central Michigan.
» The game with UMass (April 11) marked the fourth time in 2026 Eastern played an opponent for the first time in the program's four-year history. The Eagles went 2-2 in those games, including wins over Lindenwood (14-11) and Austin Peay (13-10) and losses to Vanderbilt (11-8) and the Minutewomen (14-4).
» EMU has won five games after trailing at some point, including twice when trailing in the fourth quarter, with the most recent coming in the Central Michigan game as the Eagles went on a 10-3 scoring run over the final 35:52 of the game to win after trailing, 6-4, with 5:52 remaining in the second quarter. The other wins have come against Lindenwood, Xavier, Oregon, and Austin Peay.
» Eastern has held an opponent to four or fewer goals in one half of play 11 times this year (28 halves), including seven in the second half and four in the first half. Additionally, five of those halves (10 halves played) have come in MAC games with at least one half in each of the four games played this year.
» Maddy Porter continues to shine in goal as she recorded 16 saves against UMass (April 11), making her one of only three players nationally to have stopped 16+ shots in three or more games this year. Porter, who also stopped 16 in the MAC opener against Kent State, has posted three games that rank among the top 20 nationally in single-game saves as her program-record 21 stops at Vanderbilt (March 4) are still tied for the top spot while the 16-save games are tied for 18th nationally.
» Five Eagles were named captains for the 2026 season, including Mackenzie Blackwell, Samantha Borgert, Kelsea Dague, Maddy Porter, and Annika Wozney.
» The coaching staff also welcomed two new faces as Irene Carlquist and Ty McGuire were hired as assistant coaches. Carlquist, most recently the head coach at Lees-McRae, will work with the goalkeepers, while McGuire, the former head coach of the men's program at Concordia-Ann Arbor, will work with the defense.
» Maddie Dugan is in her second season guiding the Eagles. The 2024 MAC Coach of the Year at Detroit Mercy, Dugan guided the Eagles to a share of the MAC regular season crown in 2025, the first title in program history.

DOWN THE STRETCH
With two weeks to play, only UMass has punched its ticket to the MAC Tournament (April 30 and May 1) in Moon Township, Pa., with three spots left to be claimed. As of games played April 12, the Eagles are currently third in the standings at 3-2 while Akron, who defeated Eastern, 10-9 on the road, March 28, is second at 4-1. Eastern is followed by four teams that stand 2-3 in MAC play, including its final two opponents in Robert Morris and Youngstown State (April 25).

QUICK RECAP: EASTERN FALLS TO UMASS
The Eagles dropped a 14-4 decision to visiting UMass, April 11, at Scicluna Field as the visitors built a 4-1 first quarter lead before taking a 7-3 advantage into halftime. The Minutewomen used a 4-1 run in the third quarter to open the game up and capped it with a 3-0 run in the fourth to grab a win that clinched their spot in the MAC Tournament. Mackenzie Blackwell scored twice to lead the offense while Maddy Porter made 16 saves.

SWEET 16... AGAIN
For the second time this season in a home MAC game, Maddy Porter stood on her head and recorded 16 saves, this time accomplishing the feat against visiting UMass (April 11). Porter, who also recorded 16 saves in the March 14 MAC opener against visiting Kent State, has recorded 16+ saves in three games this year with the first coming on the road, March 4, in her 21-save performance at Vanderbilt. Those totals have her highly ranked on the national scene as her 21 saves remain tied for the most in a single game this year among NCAA Division I goalkeepers while her 16-save performances are currently tied for 18th on the list.

STOP RIGHT THERE!
Maddy Porter has made the top 10 saves chart at Eastern Michigan her own list as she owns all 10 marks listed with three added this year as she brought her career total to 18 games with double digit saves. Porter broke her own record with 21 stops at Vanderbilt (March 4) earlier this season while her 16 stops against both Kent State (March 14) and UMass (April 11) tying for the fourth-highest total. Last year, she posted five of the top 10 totals with the remaining two achieved in the 2024 season.

THE SHORT LIST
Maddy Porter is among rare company this year as her 16 stops against UMass (April 11) made her one of only three goalkeepers nationally to record 16+ saves in three or more games in 2026. Louisville's Haley Richards leads the way with five games while Micaela Jennings of Lehigh is next with four. Porters' 21 saves at Vanderbilt (March 4) remain tied for the most by a goalkeeper in an NCAA Division I game this season.

BEST START
With an 8-6 record, the 2026 Eagles have tied the single-season mark for wins in a season, matching the output of the 2025 team that finished 8-9 overall. The Eagles have two more regular season games and possibly more in the postseason to break the tie and establish a new benchmark to be chased.

FOUR!
Eastern is 3-2 in MAC play this season and needs one more to extend its streak of winning four league games to three. After finishing 1-7 in MAC play (played everyone twice) in 2023, the Eagles posted identical 4-2 records in each of the last two seasons. With UMass added to the MAC this year and an additional conference game on the schedule, Eastern could break its record for MAC wins in a season by sweeping the final two contests of the season.

SAFE AT HOME
Eastern is 5-2 at home this season, including 2-1 in MAC play, marking the most home wins the program has recorded in a single season, surpassing the 4-3 record from one year ago. A win for the Eagles over Robert Morris this week would push Eastern to 3-1 in home MAC contests and tie for the most home league wins in a season after the 2025 team went 3-0 last year.

ON SENIOR DAY
Eastern is 1-2 in Senior Day games and has dropped its last two, including an 18-14 loss to visiting Marquette, April 25, 2025. The Eagles, who defeated Detroit Mercy, 17-12, April 29, 2023, for its lone Senior Day victory, dropped a 12-10 decision to visiting Robert Morris, April 27, 2024.

KNOW THE FOE: ROBERT MORRIS
The Colonials are 4-10 on the year with a 2-3 record in MAC play and have lost two consecutive matches, including a 15-10 setback at local rival Pitt, April 15, after dropping a 16-6 decision to visiting Akron, April 11. Robert Morris is 3-4 on the road this year, but 2-0 in MAC games with its 8-7 double-overtime win at Central Michigan (March 14) and an 8-5 victory at Kent State (April 4). As a team, RMU has been held to single-digit goal totals in 11 of its 14 games with 10 goals at Pitt stopping a 10-game streak with nine or fewer scored.

Mia Berthoff leads the offense with 35 points on a team-high 26 goals and nine assists while Lea Otts paces the team with 17 assists to go with her 26 points and nine goals. Madison Prietz leads the team in both draw controls and ground balls as she has posted 44 and 29, respectively. Two players have split time in goal with both Lucy Carney and Katrina Bottomley each starting seven games. Carney leads the way with 89 saves and 107 goals allowed for a 45.4 save percentage.

IN THE SERIES: EAGLES vs. COLONIALS
Eastern is 0-4 all-time against Robert Morris with the last three meetings ending within a two-goal margin, including a 10-9 loss in the last meeting, March 16, 2025, at RMU. The Eagles are 0-1 when hosting the Colonials after dropping a 12-10 decision at Scicluna Field, April 27, 2024, one week before falling to RMU, 12-11 (May 2) in the semifinals of the MAC Tournament in Mount Pleasant, Mich.

GETTING THEIR FIRST?
Should Eastern defeat Robert Morris, it would mark the sixth time in 2026 the Eagles have defeated an opponent for the first time in program history and the second league foe after handing Central Michigan (April 4) a 14-9 decision in Ypsilanti after entering the game 0-4 all-time against the Chippewas. Two of the wins came against first-time opponents in Lindenwood (14-11) and at Austin Peay (13-10) while EMU's win over Xavier (9-7) came in the third meeting between the two sides while the victory at Oregon (12-9) came in the second game of the series.

THE LAST TIME: EMU vs. ROBERT MORRIS
The Eagles suffered a 10-9 loss at Robert Morris, March 16, 2025, despite jumping out to a 5-0 lead and taking a 5-1 advantage into halftime. In the second half, the host Colonials chipped away at the EMU lead and closed to within three at the end of third with the Eagles leading, 6-3. From there, Eastern built the lead to four (8-4) before a four-goal run tied the score with 4:03 to play. The Eagles reclaimed the lead (9-8) on a Payton Bloedow goal with 2:29 to play, but the Colonials scored twice in the final 40 seconds of the game to steal the win. Mackenzie Blackwell led all scorers with three goals while Bloedow added two and our other Eagles scored once.

TOUGH SLEDDING
Through 14 games played, the Eagles have held six teams to single-digit goal totals, including the 14-9 home victory over Central Michigan (April 4), with four coming at home. The six victories are a single-season record, surpassing the five from 2025. Eastern is 15-1 all-time when holding an opponent to nine or fewer goals and has won the last 12 such games.

LESS IS MORE
Eastern has played five MAC games this year with the defense standing tall in the first four as the Eagles have held its four opponents to 43 goals (8.6 per game). The goal totals were historic as the four allowed to UDM tied for the fewest in any game EMU has played and the fewest against a MAC opponent while the six scored by Kent State tied for the fourth fewest overall and tied for the fewest allowed in a MAC home game.

MAYBE NEXT HALF
Eastern has played 14 games this season, which amounts to 28 halves of play. Of the 28 halves, the Eastern defense has held an opponent to four or fewer goals 11 times, including seven times in the second half. The Eagles have played five MAC games (10 halves) with the defense allowing four or fewer goals in five of those halves of play, including three in the final 30 minutes of play against Central Michigan (April 4).

DOWN BUT NOT OUT
Eastern Michigan has won five games after trailing at some point, including twice when trailing in the fourth quarter, with the most recent coming in the Central Michigan (April 4) game as the Eagles went on a 10-3 scoring run over the final 35:52 of the game to win after trailing, 6-4, with 5:52 remaining in the second quarter. The other wins have come against Lindenwood, Xavier, Oregon, and Austin Peay.

RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT
Eastern has held foes scoreless for long stretches in the fourth quarter in three victories while scoring goals to help complete come-from-behind wins. The win over Xavier (Feb. 14) saw the Eagles hold the Musketeers scoreless in the final 12:47 of the game while scoring four goals to win, 9-7. On the road at Oregon, the Ducks tied the game at nine with four minutes to play in the third before EMU went on a 3-0 run over the final 19 minutes of play for the 12-9 win. Most recently, Eastern held Austin Peay (March 1) scoreless over the final 14:02 while going on a 5-0 run for the 13-10 win. In the victory over Kent State (March 14), Eastern led the entire game and built a 7-1 lead at halftime, turning the tables with a near-shutout in the first half instead of the second.

TAKING ADVANTAGE
Through 14 games played, the Eagles have scored 35 woman-up goals for an average of 2.5 advantage goals per game with both totals leading the MAC. The 35 goals are tied for the most in a single season in program history with the 2024 team.

THE PORTER 400
With her 16 saves against Kent State (March 14), Maddy Porter brought her career total to 406, making her the first Eastern player to surpass 400 saves in a career. The only player to have reached 200 and 300 saves as well in program history, Porter has tallied 135 saves this season, marking her third consecutive season with 100+ saves while ranking her ninth nationally in total saves in 2026. Her 446 saves are the ninth-highest total among all active goalkeepers in NCAA Division I (as of April 15) and leaves her four stops away from another milestone.

PORTER ON THE RISE
Maddy Porter is among the top goalkeepers nationally as she ranks in the top 50 in four categories, including standing fourth in ground balls per game (4.00). Porter also ranks ninth in saves (135), 11th in saves per game (9.71), and 19th in save percentage (.477). On a conference level, she is among the top 10 in the MAC in six areas, including first in ground balls, ranking second in both saves per game and total saves, third in save percentage, fourth in goals against average (11.09), and tied for ninth in caused turnovers (1.14).

ON THE LIST • NCAA
March 4 was a day for goalkeeper saves as the top three NCAA Division I performances were recorded on the same day. Maddy Porter recorded 21 saves for Eastern at Vanderbilt while Isabella McCullough of Longwood tied for the single-game high after stopping 21 shots against Liberty. Haley Richards of Louisville recorded 19 saves in the Cardinals' game with Florida State to take the third spot, all of which surpassed the previous best of 18 saves that was recorded twice on Opening Day (Feb. 6). That day, Kimaari Mondy (Delaware State) and Sophia Pasnak (Manhattan) set the mark to beat for the season. Through games played April 1, Porter's 21 saves remain tied for the single game lead this year while her 16 stops against Kent State (March 14) and UMass (April 11) currently are tied for 18th.

LESS IS MORE
While Maddy Porter has done her part in stopping shots, the defense in front of her has helped prevent shots from being fired, too. Through 14 games, the Eagles have allowed 154 goals, an average of 11.0 per game. The program record is 191 goals (11.94) in 16 games, 37 more goals than what has been allowed this season.

POINTING IT OUT
With five points on three goals and two assists, Mackenzie Blackwell made more program history against Kent State (March 14) as the senior brought her career point total to 200. The only player in EMU history to surpass 150 points, Blackwell secured her 200th point by assisting Amber Alderman's goal with 3:53 to play in the game with the Golden Flashes. Through the UMass game (April 11), she has tallied 210 career points on 184 goals and 26 assists.

MORE THAN HATS
To reach her goals and points totals, Mackenzie Blackwell has scored goals in bunches for the Eagles throughout her career. Blackwell has played all 63 games in program history and has scored at least one goal in 88.9 percent of the games she has played with 79.4 percent of her games ending with multiple goals. Here is how she has fared throughout her career:
» 1+ goals: 56-of-63 games (.889 percent)
» 2+ goals: 50-of-63 games (.794)
» 3+ goals: 38-of-63 games (.603)
» 4+ goals: 21-of-63 games (.333)
» 5+ goals: 9-of-63 games (.143)

MORE THAN SCORING
While she continues to score, Mackenzie Blackwell has also been tracking back on defense and playing a tough ride as she has caused nine turnovers in the past five games, including a career-high four against Kent State (March 14). Blackwell entered the year with 19 total caused turnovers to her credit and has tallied 11 this year, which has already bettered her single-season high set her freshman season.

NATIONALLY KNOWN
Mackenzie Blackwell ranks among the national top 50 in one category this week as she sits 36th in shots per game (6.5). Additionally, she is among the top six in five categories in the MAC standings, including third in goals (37), fourth in shots per game and goals per game (2.64), fifth in points (50), and sixth in points per game (3.57).

MILESTONE REACHED • BLACKWELL
Mackenzie Blackwell is the program's career leader in nine categories, including goals (182), hat tricks (38), game-winning goals (six), free-position goals (28), woman-up goals (39), points (210), shots (400), shots on goal (289), and draw controls (257) through the game played at Akron (March 28). The only player in program history to reach 100 and 150 goals and the first of two to reach 100 points, Blackwell recorded one draw control at Akron to reach 250. She is closing in on another milestone as she needs one more goal scored on the woman-up advantage to reach 40.

NATIONALLY KNOWN • TEAM RANKINGS
As a team, Eastern is among the top 50 in four statistical categories (through games played April 15), led by the team's 18.57 ground balls per game, which ranks 11th nationally and leads the MAC. Eastern also ranks 19th in save percentage (.476), 21st in caused turnovers per game (10.79), and 37th in fewest fouls committed per game (5.86).

ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSED (TURNOVER)
Through 14 games, the defense has posted 151 caused turnovers, breaking the program's single-season record by 10 after the 2025 team broke the mark with 141. Seven different players have 10+ caused turnovers this year, led by Karly Low, who has 18.

FEELING ACTIVE • NCAA CAREER LIST
Each year, the NCAA compiles a list of current players in each division and where they rank in statistical categories based upon their career totals with two Eagles highly ranked once again:
Mackenzie Blackwell
» 184 goals = 7th in NCAA Division I
» 2.92 goals/game = 17th in NCAA Division I
» 210 points = 20th in NCAA Division I
» 3.33 points/game = 34th in NCAA Division I
» 4.08 draw controls/game = 24th in NCAA Division I
Maddy Porter
» 4.13 ground balls/game= 1st in NCAA Division I
» 190 ground balls = 2nd in NCAA Division I
» 9.70 saves per game = 4th in NCAA Division I
» 446 saves = 9th in NCAA Division I
Tracy Grollman
» 1.12 assists per game = 42nd in NCAA Division I
» 65 assists = 46th in NCAA Division I

HAPPY HELPER
Tracy Grollman is the third Eagle that is ranked among the top 50 nationally as she appears on two assist lists. Grollman is currently ranked 25th in total assists (30) while ranking 31st in assists per game (2.14). She leads the MAC in both categories as well and is eighth in both points (46) and eighth in points per game (3.29).

DOING THE DISHES
Tracy Grollman has rewritten the program's assist ledger as her four dimes against Kent State (March 14) moved her to the top spot of another list. Ahead of the game at Vanderbilt (March 4), Grollman was tied with Avery Schwab (2023-25) with 45 career assists with her two helpers that day breaking the tie. She added a single-game record five helpers against Cincinnati (March 8) to become the first Eastern player with 50+ assists in a career. Grollman has tallied 65 career assists to become the only Eagle to reach 60 as well.

SEASON ASSISTS
With the two assists dished against Detroit Mercy (March 19), Tracy Grollman added to her single-season record as she brought her total to 23 in 2026. She surpassed the 19 tallied by Avery Schwab in 2024 and became the first Eagle to post 20+ helpers in a single season. Grollman currently has 30 assists following the game with UMass (April 11).

SHARING IS CARING
As a team, the Eagles have recorded 82 assists this season (5.86 per game) to rank third in the MAC and tied for second on the program's single-season list. The record stands at 88 and was set in 2025 in the Eagles' 17-game season that ended in the MAC Tournament.

GROLLMAN HITS CENTURY MARK
Tracy Grollman recorded four points on two goals and two assists at Oregon (Feb. 22) to bring her career total to 100 points (now at 133), making her only the second player in program history to reach the century mark. Grollman, who recorded her seventh career game with multiple goals and multiple assists in the same contest, broke her season high for points with six on two goals and four assists against Kent State in the MAC opener (March 8).

OH HENRY!
When the season opened, Emerson Henry scored one goal in each of the first four contests before being held without a point. That all changed in Eugene, Ore., Feb. 22, as she scored twice to help the Eagles to the upset victory (12-9) to start a run of nine consecutive games with at least one goal scored, including her four-goal, three-assist performance against Central Michigan (April 4) and one against UMass (April 11). Over the run, Henry has tallied 22 goals and seven assists for 29 points while recording multiple goals in 7-of-9 games with three or more in three. She also has posted three or more points in four of those games with her seven against the Chippewas standing as a career high. Her 26 goals in 2026 rank 10th on the single-season scoring list and marks back-to-back years she has scored 26 goals with at least two games to be played in 2026.

WEARING TWO HATS
Emerson Henry finished the game with Central Michigan with a 'double hat trick' as she recorded four goals and three assists in the game. It marked her first career double, the first of the year for the team, and the first since April 20, 2025, when Tracy Grollman tallied five goals and three assists at home against Akron. The double for Henry is the fifth in program history with Sydney Lawrence recorded two against Youngstown State with four goals and three assists on the road, April 8, 2023, and then again on the road, April 21, 2024, with eight goals and five helpers. Grollman also has posted two in her career with a three-goal, three-assist performance at Howard (Feb. 25, 2024) standing as her first.

SHE CAN DIG IT
Maddy Porter achieved her second career milestone of the season during the victory at Oregon (Feb. 22) as the junior goalkeeper collected one ground ball to bring her career total to 150, making her the first player in program history to reach the milestone mark after becoming the first to reach 100 as well. She is currently ranked first among all current NCAA Division I players for career ground balls per game (4.0).

AHOY, CAPTAINS!
Five Eagles were selected as team captains for the 2026 season. The captains include Mackenzie Blackwell, Samantha Borgert, Kelsea Dague, Maddy Porter, and Annika Wozney.

ON THE HORIZON
The final game of the regular season awaits Eastern in Youngstown, Ohio, next week as the Eagles are set to face the Penguins of Youngstown State University in a 12 p.m. Mid-American Conference game on Farmers National Bank Field.

FOLLOW US
For all things EMU Lacrosse, be sure to check out the team's social media accounts, including EMU_Lacrosse on X and EMU_Lacrosse on Instagram.

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Players Mentioned

Abby Alderman

Amber Alderman

Caitlin Beahm

Mackenzie Blackwell

Payton Bloedow

Samantha Borgert

Gina D'Alessio

Kelsea Dague

Kyleigh Dill

Mak Grisinger

Tracy Grollman

Emerson Henry

Haley Hodak

Sanai James

Karly Low

Maggie McCabe

Maddy Porter

Avery Schwab

Annika Wozney

Eastern Michigan Athletics