The Eastern Michigan University lacrosse team celebrated its return to Ypsilanti with a dominant showing, defeating Butler University 12-8 in their home opener on Sunday, Feb. 8. Playing inside the Indoor Practice Facility (IPF), the Eagles (1-1) bounced back from a season-opening loss to Marquette to hand the Bulldogs (1-1) their first defeat of the season. The victory was fueled by a record-breaking performance from Mackenzie Blackwell, who orchestrated the offense with a career-high seven points.
From the opening draw, the Eagles established a physical and disciplined presence. Eastern struck first at the 12:20 mark of the first quarter when Blackwell found the back of the net off a crisp pass from Katheryn Wilson. Blackwell extended the lead to 2-0 just minutes later, converting a free-position goal at 7:44. Although Butler managed to cut the lead to 2-1, the Eagles responded quickly; Abby Alderman scored off a Tracy Grollman assist with just over a minute left in the period to give EMU a 3-1 cushion.
The second quarter saw the Bulldogs attempt to claw back, scoring early to narrow the gap to a single goal. However, Wilson took control of the momentum, netting back-to-back goals—one assisted by Kendall Nagle, who recorded her first career assist—to push the lead to 5-2. After Butler again pulled within one goal, Blackwell completed her hat trick with a woman-up free-position goal, and Abby Alderman added her second of the day to send the Eagles into the locker room with a 7-4 halftime lead.
In a rare turn for high-scoring collegiate lacrosse, the third quarter featured a complete defensive stalemate, with neither team finding the back of the net. The Eagles' defense, led by Payton Bloedow and Nagle, who each recorded two caused turnovers, kept the Bulldogs frustrated despite Butler holding a slight edge in total shots during the contest.
The tension peaked in the fourth quarter when Butler scored two quick goals to bring the score to 7-6. With the game hanging in the balance, the Eagles’ veteran leaders took over. Blackwell scored at the 10:40 mark before turning playmaker, assisting Amber Alderman for a goal that gave EMU some breathing room at 9-6. After another Butler response, the Eagles effectively put the game out of reach with a definitive three-goal run. Wilson completed her hat trick, followed by Blackwell’s fifth goal of the afternoon. Emerson Henry capped off the scoring for Eastern, finishing a pass from Stella Burke to make it 12-7 before a late Butler goal finalized the score at 12-8.
The individual accolades for the afternoon were headlined by Blackwell, whose seven points, made up of her five goals and two assists set a new EMU Indoor Practice Facility record. Her four-woman-up goals also established both a facility and a program single-game record. Blackwell has now scored at least two goals in 41 of her 51 career games. Wilson was equally vital to the win, finishing with five points made up of her three goals and two assists to record her sixth career hat trick.
Beyond the scoring, the Eagles dominated the circle, winning the draw control battle 15-7. Emerson Henry was the standout in this category, recording a game-high nine draws, marking the seventh time in her career she has secured eight or more in a single game.
As a team, the Eagles rewrote the indoor practice facility record books, setting new facility benchmarks for points with twenty-one, goals, scoring twelve, assists with nine, draw controls with 15, and 11 caused turnovers.
Historically, EMU has now won three consecutive games against Butler, improving their all-time series record to 3-1. The Eagles will look to maintain this momentum as they continue their three-game homestand. Eastern returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 11, hosting Lindenwood University at 4 p.m. inside the Indoor Practice Facility.
