The Eastern Michigan University Lacrosse team kicked off their home season in spectacular fashion on a sunny day in Ypsilanti. With a stunning run of nine consecutive goals to open the game, the Eagles soared to a triumphant 15-8 victory over Butler University on Friday, March 15, at Scicluna Field.
The electrifying win marked EMU's home opener and showcased their dominance after a string of road games. Improving their record to 3-3, Eastern Michigan bounced back from a narrow 7-6 loss at Lafayette College on March 9, proving their resilience and determination on the field.
Eastern set the pace early on, igniting the scoreboard with an impressive streak of nine consecutive goals. By the end of the first quarter, they had already established a commanding 4-0 lead, which extended to a remarkable 9-1 advantage by halftime. Mackenzie Blackwell (North Beach, Md.), demonstrating her offensive prowess, initiated the scoring frenzy at 13:42 with a precise shot following a slick pass from Tracy Grollman (Annapolis, Md.).
The momentum continued as Amber Alderman (Lusby, Md.) swiftly capitalized on a woman-up opportunity less than a minute later, courtesy of another assist from Grollman. The opening quarter culminated with Sydney Lawrence (Wylie, Texas) delivering a powerful shot, complemented by Blackwell securing her second goal, courtesy of an assist from Lawrence.
The second half commenced with Alderman finding the back of the net. Shortly after, Caitlin Beahm (Toms River, N.J.), marked a milestone with her inaugural collegiate goal. Blackwell followed suit with a duo of goals, setting the pace for Eastern's offensive onslaught.
Beahm would then notch her second goal of the day, a decisive strike that would ultimately extend the momentum. Despite Butler managing to respond with their first goal just 34 seconds before halftime, the Eagles maintained a commanding 9-1 lead.
Contrary to the outcome in the opening quarter, the visiting team surged ahead with the first four goals, narrowing the gap to 9-5. However, Skylar Hilmer (San Diego, Calif.) halted Butler's scoring streak with a remarkable goal, despite Eastern being a player down.
This goal marked a rare occurrence for the Eagles, being the first of its kind this year and only the second time in the program's history. Following this, Blackwell secured her fifth goal, extending Eastern's lead to 11-5 as they entered the fourth quarter.
In the final quarter, both teams exchanged goals, with Alderman and Lawrence responding to Butler's scores before Avery Schwab (Dublin, Ohio) widened the gap to 14-7. Despite Butler notching a final goal, Blackwell sealed the victory with her sixth goal, assisted by Lawrence, concluding the game at 15-8.
With this win, the Eagles marked their first home win of the season and improved their record to 3-3, while Butler endured another setback, dropping to 1-7. The Eagles ignited the match with an explosive start, notching nine consecutive goals. Their impressive offensive display resulted in a total of 15 goals, ranking as the fourth-highest in program history and the second-highest in a home game.
Blackwell showcased her scoring prowess once again, recording six or more goals in a single game for the third time in her career, marking the second occurrence this season following her exceptional nine-goal performance against Howard on Feb. 25. With an impressive tally of 25 goals already in just six games, Blackwell has demonstrated remarkable consistency, building on her impressive total of 39 goals as the team's top scorer in 2023.
Up next, the Eagles are back in action for the second half of a Big East double dip when the Eagles travel to Milwaukee, Wis., to face the Golden Eagles of Marquette University. The opening draw is slated for noon CT (1 p.m. ET) and will be streamed live on FloSports.
