Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, April 25
Youngstown, Ohio
12 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
10-6, 5-2
16
at
4
Youngstown State
3-13, 2-5
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Mich. | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
| Youngstown St. | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Lacrosse Downs Penguins, 16-4, for 10th Win in 2026
4/25/2026 3:35:00 PM | Lacrosse
Blackwell (five) and Henry (three) led the offense as the defense held YSU in check throughout
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) -- Mackenzie Blackwell scored five goals, Emerson Henry added a hat trick, Leah Rings tallied the first goal of her career, and the Eastern Michigan University defense stood tall once again as the Eagles closed the regular season with a convincing 16-4 Mid-American Conference road win at Youngstown State University, April 25, at Farmers National Bank Stadium in Youngstown, Ohio. The Eagles (10-6, 5-2 MAC) reached double-digit wins for the first time in program history while winning their program-record fifth league game as they held the Penguins (3-13, 2-5 MAC) to four goals, marking the third time in seven MAC contests EMU limited an opponent to four or fewer goals.
How It Happened
Eastern Michigan wasted no time asserting control as it scored the first six goals of the first quarter with six different players finding the net. The opening run was started by Kendall Nagle (Sudlersville, Md./Queen Anne's County) on an assist from Tracy Grollman (Annapolis, Md./Annapolis Area Christian School) and was followed quickly by tallies from Roya Khaleeli (Rancho Palo Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula), Stella Burke (Peterborough, Ontario/St. Peter's Catholic Secondary), Grollman, Henry (Ashburn, Ontario/Donald A. Wilson) and Blackwell (). Youngstown State got on the board late in the first, but EMU led 6-1 after 15 minutes.
The Eagles continued their dominance in the second with Blackwell adding two more goals, including a free-position shot, while Kelsea Dague (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) capitalized on a woman-up opportunity. Grollman and Reagan Riemer (Perry Hall, Md./Notre Dame Prep Academy) combined to set up key goals during the period to give EMU a 10-2 advantage at halftime.
Henry powered in her second and third goals during the third and fourth quarters, respectively, while Amber Alderman (Lusby, Md./Patuxent) and Blackwell continued to pile up points. Late tallies from Katheryn Wilson (Dacula, Ga./Mill Creek) and Rings (Comstock Park, Mich./Rockford), which marked her first career goal, sealed the 16-4 margin. The defense, anchored by standout goalkeeping from Maddy Porter (Montrose, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson), stifled Youngstown State throughout, limiting the Penguins to just four goals and recording 14 saves as a unit.
Individual Notes
» Mackenzie Blackwell finished the game with a season-high eight points on five goals and three assists, surpassing the seven she tallied against Butler (Feb. 8) in the second game of the season. Her five goals tied her season-high set in the game with the Bulldogs while her three helpers stood as a career high, surpassing the two dimes she tallied six times prior. Additionally, her five goals tied for the eighth-highest total in EMU single-game history while her eight points tied for the fourth-highest.
» Mackenzie Blackwell continued to climb higher on several season and career charts with her performance at YSU as her three assists gave her 31 for the career to make her only the third player in Eastern history to total 30+ while her 18 helpers this season rank her third. She also brought her season goal total to 44, which ranks third, and gave 40+ goals for the third consecutive season while her 62 points are the second-highest in a single season behind the 65 recorded in 2025.
» Emerson Henry extended her scoring streak to 11 consecutive games as she scored three goals and added one assist for four points. With her fourth hat trick of the season, she brought her goal total to 31, making her third player in program history with 30+ goals in a single season while also posting her second game-winning goal of the year. Henry added three draw controls to bring her season total to 52, making her only the second player in EMU history to post 50+ in multiple seasons.
» Tracy Grollman recorded four points on one goal and three assists, marking the seventh time in 2026 she has dished out three or more assists in a game. She brought her season total 54 points, which tied for the third-highest total in program history while she continued to raise the single-season assist standard to 37. Overall, she has tallied 72 assists in her career, making her the first player in program history to reach 70.
» Leah Rings, who was appearing in her fourth career game, scored the final goal of the game to mark her first career goal and first career point. Rings added the first shot and first shot on goal of her career in the process.
» Amber Alderman added three points to the totals against the Penguins as she recorded one goal and two assists. The two helpers marked the third time in her career she has dished multiple assists in a game with the most recent coming in her freshman year against Detroit Mercy, April 29, 2023, in the final game of the program's inaugural season.
» Reagan Riemer recorded two of the team's program-record 12 assists in the game. The two helpers tied her career high and marked the second time she has recorded multiple assists this year after posting two in the win at Detroit Mercy, March 19.
» Maddy Porter played the first three quarters of the game and made 11 saves while allowing three goals. Her 11 stops tied for the fifth-highest total against a MAC opponent in program history while marking the seventh time this year and the 19th time in her career she has recorded double-digit stops. She has made 153 saves this season to mark the second consecutive season she has reached 150+ after stopping a program-record 179 in 2025.
» Maddy Porter scooped four ground balls in the game to bring her season total to 66 and her career total to 200. On a season level, her 66 ground balls are the second-highest total in program history and trail only the 71 she recorded last year while giving her 60+ in three consecutive seasons. For her career, she is the only player in program history to reach 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, and now 200 ground balls.
» Emma Baker (Towson, Md./Notre Dame Preparatory) played the final quarter in goal and made three saves while allowing one goal. It marked the third appearance this year for the freshman as she tied her career-high saves total after recording three at Austin Peay (March 1).
Team Notes
» Eastern finished the regular season at 10-6 overall and 5-2 in MAC play while Youngstown State's season came to an end with a 3-13 record and a 2-5 mark in league play.
» With the victory, the Eagles reached double-digit wins for the first time in program history one game after breaking the single-season wins record. Additionally, the five wins in MAC play broke the record of four set in each of the last two seasons.
» Eastern improved to 3-1 in its final road game of the regular season and has won three consecutive road finales. It marked the second time the Eagles played their final regular season road contest at YSU after winning, 18-11, in 2024.
» The Eagles improved to 3-1 all-time against the Penguins and have won three consecutive meetings. Eastern moved to 2-1 when playing in Youngstown and have won two consecutive games on the Penguins' home turf.
» Eastern recorded a program-record 12 assists in the game, surpassing the 11 recorded at Delaware State, Feb. 28, 2024, and the 10 posted twice in home MAC games with Detroit Mercy (April 29, 2023) and Akron (April 20, 2025). The 28 points the team produced ranks second behind the 29 posted at Delaware State and broke the record for a conference game after recording 27 against UDM in 2023.
» Katheryn Wilson's goal late in the fourth quarter marked the 700th scored in program history.
» Defensively, the Eagles held an opponent to single-digit scoring for the eighth time in 16 games this year and marked the third time in seven MAC games it held a team to four or less goals. The other two instances came one week ago at home against Robert Morris, 13-3, and March 19 at Detroit Mercy, 17-4.
Up Next
Eastern has qualified for the 2026 Mid-American Conference Tournament that will be played inside Joe Walton Stadium in Moon Township, Pa., April 30 and May 2. The Eagles, making their third-consecutive appearance, are the No. 3 seed and will take on No. 2 University of Akron at 2 p.m., April 30, in the second of two semifinals that will be streamed live on ESPN+. The winner of the Eagles-Zips game will face the winner of No. 1-seed University of Massachusetts and No. 4-seed and host Robert Morris University in the final, May 2, at 12 p.m. on ESPN+.
Follow Us
For all things EMU Lacrosse, be sure to check out the team's social media accounts, including EMU_Lacrosse on X (formerly Twitter) and EMU_Lacrosse on Instagram.
How It Happened
Eastern Michigan wasted no time asserting control as it scored the first six goals of the first quarter with six different players finding the net. The opening run was started by Kendall Nagle (Sudlersville, Md./Queen Anne's County) on an assist from Tracy Grollman (Annapolis, Md./Annapolis Area Christian School) and was followed quickly by tallies from Roya Khaleeli (Rancho Palo Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula), Stella Burke (Peterborough, Ontario/St. Peter's Catholic Secondary), Grollman, Henry (Ashburn, Ontario/Donald A. Wilson) and Blackwell (). Youngstown State got on the board late in the first, but EMU led 6-1 after 15 minutes.
The Eagles continued their dominance in the second with Blackwell adding two more goals, including a free-position shot, while Kelsea Dague (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) capitalized on a woman-up opportunity. Grollman and Reagan Riemer (Perry Hall, Md./Notre Dame Prep Academy) combined to set up key goals during the period to give EMU a 10-2 advantage at halftime.
Henry powered in her second and third goals during the third and fourth quarters, respectively, while Amber Alderman (Lusby, Md./Patuxent) and Blackwell continued to pile up points. Late tallies from Katheryn Wilson (Dacula, Ga./Mill Creek) and Rings (Comstock Park, Mich./Rockford), which marked her first career goal, sealed the 16-4 margin. The defense, anchored by standout goalkeeping from Maddy Porter (Montrose, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson), stifled Youngstown State throughout, limiting the Penguins to just four goals and recording 14 saves as a unit.
Individual Notes
» Mackenzie Blackwell finished the game with a season-high eight points on five goals and three assists, surpassing the seven she tallied against Butler (Feb. 8) in the second game of the season. Her five goals tied her season-high set in the game with the Bulldogs while her three helpers stood as a career high, surpassing the two dimes she tallied six times prior. Additionally, her five goals tied for the eighth-highest total in EMU single-game history while her eight points tied for the fourth-highest.
» Mackenzie Blackwell continued to climb higher on several season and career charts with her performance at YSU as her three assists gave her 31 for the career to make her only the third player in Eastern history to total 30+ while her 18 helpers this season rank her third. She also brought her season goal total to 44, which ranks third, and gave 40+ goals for the third consecutive season while her 62 points are the second-highest in a single season behind the 65 recorded in 2025.
» Emerson Henry extended her scoring streak to 11 consecutive games as she scored three goals and added one assist for four points. With her fourth hat trick of the season, she brought her goal total to 31, making her third player in program history with 30+ goals in a single season while also posting her second game-winning goal of the year. Henry added three draw controls to bring her season total to 52, making her only the second player in EMU history to post 50+ in multiple seasons.
» Tracy Grollman recorded four points on one goal and three assists, marking the seventh time in 2026 she has dished out three or more assists in a game. She brought her season total 54 points, which tied for the third-highest total in program history while she continued to raise the single-season assist standard to 37. Overall, she has tallied 72 assists in her career, making her the first player in program history to reach 70.
» Leah Rings, who was appearing in her fourth career game, scored the final goal of the game to mark her first career goal and first career point. Rings added the first shot and first shot on goal of her career in the process.
» Amber Alderman added three points to the totals against the Penguins as she recorded one goal and two assists. The two helpers marked the third time in her career she has dished multiple assists in a game with the most recent coming in her freshman year against Detroit Mercy, April 29, 2023, in the final game of the program's inaugural season.
» Reagan Riemer recorded two of the team's program-record 12 assists in the game. The two helpers tied her career high and marked the second time she has recorded multiple assists this year after posting two in the win at Detroit Mercy, March 19.
» Maddy Porter played the first three quarters of the game and made 11 saves while allowing three goals. Her 11 stops tied for the fifth-highest total against a MAC opponent in program history while marking the seventh time this year and the 19th time in her career she has recorded double-digit stops. She has made 153 saves this season to mark the second consecutive season she has reached 150+ after stopping a program-record 179 in 2025.
» Maddy Porter scooped four ground balls in the game to bring her season total to 66 and her career total to 200. On a season level, her 66 ground balls are the second-highest total in program history and trail only the 71 she recorded last year while giving her 60+ in three consecutive seasons. For her career, she is the only player in program history to reach 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, and now 200 ground balls.
» Emma Baker (Towson, Md./Notre Dame Preparatory) played the final quarter in goal and made three saves while allowing one goal. It marked the third appearance this year for the freshman as she tied her career-high saves total after recording three at Austin Peay (March 1).
Team Notes
» Eastern finished the regular season at 10-6 overall and 5-2 in MAC play while Youngstown State's season came to an end with a 3-13 record and a 2-5 mark in league play.
» With the victory, the Eagles reached double-digit wins for the first time in program history one game after breaking the single-season wins record. Additionally, the five wins in MAC play broke the record of four set in each of the last two seasons.
» Eastern improved to 3-1 in its final road game of the regular season and has won three consecutive road finales. It marked the second time the Eagles played their final regular season road contest at YSU after winning, 18-11, in 2024.
» The Eagles improved to 3-1 all-time against the Penguins and have won three consecutive meetings. Eastern moved to 2-1 when playing in Youngstown and have won two consecutive games on the Penguins' home turf.
» Eastern recorded a program-record 12 assists in the game, surpassing the 11 recorded at Delaware State, Feb. 28, 2024, and the 10 posted twice in home MAC games with Detroit Mercy (April 29, 2023) and Akron (April 20, 2025). The 28 points the team produced ranks second behind the 29 posted at Delaware State and broke the record for a conference game after recording 27 against UDM in 2023.
» Katheryn Wilson's goal late in the fourth quarter marked the 700th scored in program history.
» Defensively, the Eagles held an opponent to single-digit scoring for the eighth time in 16 games this year and marked the third time in seven MAC games it held a team to four or less goals. The other two instances came one week ago at home against Robert Morris, 13-3, and March 19 at Detroit Mercy, 17-4.
Up Next
Eastern has qualified for the 2026 Mid-American Conference Tournament that will be played inside Joe Walton Stadium in Moon Township, Pa., April 30 and May 2. The Eagles, making their third-consecutive appearance, are the No. 3 seed and will take on No. 2 University of Akron at 2 p.m., April 30, in the second of two semifinals that will be streamed live on ESPN+. The winner of the Eagles-Zips game will face the winner of No. 1-seed University of Massachusetts and No. 4-seed and host Robert Morris University in the final, May 2, at 12 p.m. on ESPN+.
Follow Us
For all things EMU Lacrosse, be sure to check out the team's social media accounts, including EMU_Lacrosse on X (formerly Twitter) and EMU_Lacrosse on Instagram.
Team Stats
EMU
YSU
Shots
28
29
Turnovers
18
16
Caused Turnovers
8
11
Draw Controls
11
11
Free-Position Shots
3
1
Ground Balls
13
15
Game Leaders
G
5
A
3
FO
-
Pen
-120
GB
1
CT
1
G
3
A
1
FO
-
Pen
-60
GB
0
CT
1
G
1
A
3
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
0
CT
0
G
1
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
2
CT
0
Players Mentioned
A
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/ Lacrosse2025-26 EMU Athletics In-Review
Tuesday, April 21
Spring Weekend 2026 Cinematic Recap
Monday, April 20
Eastern Downs Robert Morris, 13-3, on Senior Day
Saturday, April 18
Lacrosse Falls to UMass
Saturday, April 11