Despite a historic performance from senior attacker Mackenzie Blackwell, the Eastern Michigan University lacrosse team struggled to contain a high-powered Marquette University offense, falling 20-9 in their 2026 season opener Friday, Feb. 6. Playing inside the Valley Fields Dome, the Eagles (0-1) were unable to overcome several significant scoring runs by the Golden Eagles (1-0) in a fast-paced contest.
The afternoon was headlined by Blackwell, who continued to cement her legacy as the most prolific scorer in program history. With her third goal of the game, Blackwell became the first player in EMU history to reach 150 career goals. She finished the day with four goals, marking her 31st career hat trick and the 20th time in 50 career games that she has scored four or more goals. Notably, Blackwell has historically thrived against Marquette, having now tallied 14 career goals against them in four meetings.
The game began with a flurry of action in a first quarter that featured 13 combined goals. Marquette jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead, but the Eagles showed resilience with a four-goal response to briefly take a 4-3 lead. During this stretch, Tracy Grollman assisted Emerson Henry for EMU's first goal of the season, followed by a pair of strikes from Blackwell and a goal by Stella Burke. However, Marquette reclaimed the momentum with a three-goal run. Grollman scored to bring the Eagles within one at 6-5, but the Golden Eagles added two late scores to lead 8-5 at the end of the period.
The second quarter proved decisive as Marquette outscored Eastern 9-2. The Golden Eagles initiated runs of four and six goals to build a commanding lead. A bright spot for EMU was the collegiate debut of Mak Grisinger, who scored her first career goal while the Eagles were man-down. Grisinger would add a second goal later in the period, finishing her debut with two goals on two shots. Despite these efforts, Marquette closed the half with four consecutive goals to trigger a running clock, taking a 17-7 advantage into the locker room.
Defensive play tightened in the third quarter, which saw only two goals—both by Marquette. The Eagles found some offensive rhythm again early in the fourth when Blackwell scored just 16 seconds into the period off another Grollman assist. Later in the frame, defender Erin Humphrey recorded her first career point by assisting Blackwell on a breakaway goal to make it 19-9. Marquette added one final goal to set the 20-9 margin.
Statistically, the Eagles were hampered by a significant deficit in the draw circle, winning only 8 draw controls compared to Marquette's 22. While EMU was efficient when they had the ball—trailing only 30-23 in total shots—the lack of possession limited their comeback potential. Defensively, Payton Bloedow led the team with a career-high five ground balls and two caused turnovers. Grollman finished with a team-high four points, scoring one goal and having three assists.
The loss drops Eastern to 0-4 all-time in season openers and road openers. It also marked only the third time in program history that the EMU defense has surrendered 20 or more goals.
The Eagles, who are defending MAC regular-season co-champions, will look to bounce back quickly as they return to Ypsilanti for their home opener. Eastern is scheduled to host Butler University on Sunday, Feb. 8, at 1 p.m. inside the Indoor Practice Facility. The Eagles hold a 2-1 all-time series lead over the Bulldogs and will be searching for their first win of the 2026 campaign.
