The Eastern Michigan lacrosse team’s three-game win streak came to an end Wednesday afternoon as the Eagles fell 19-12 to Canisius University at Demske Sports Complex in Buffalo, New York.
Slow start
The Eagles were the first to score with Kelsea Dague, midfielder, securing the first goal of the game at the 13:27 mark. The early lead was short-lived as the Golden Griffins scored six unanswered goals throughout the rest of the first quarter.
Canisius continued to dominate as the game progressed into the second quarter, taking a 9-1 lead. The dominance of Canisius cooled when Amber Alderman scored at the 8:56 mark. The goal by Alderman helped revitalize the offense with Tracy Grollman and Mackenzie Blackwell scoring for the Eagles shortly after, making the score 9-4.
Each team scored once more before halftime, bringing the score to 10-5, with Eastern Michigan’s last score of the half coming from Amber Alderman with just 13 seconds remaining in the period.
Back-and-forth battle
The third quarter was full of back-and-forth play. Canisius managed to score within the first minute of the quarter, but Mackenzie Blackwell answered right back with a goal just 25 seconds later.
The next goal was for the opposition to score with 12:07 on the clock. Amber Alderman answered back with another two goals, recording a hat-trick on the day. Following the hat-trick by Alderman, Mackenzie Blackwell scored again with 7:12 remaining, minimising the deficit to 12-9. Canisius responded, increasing its lead to 14-9 as the third quarter came to a close.
Hard-fought ending
Canisius had a powerful start in the fourth quarter as they opened with four-straight goals, bringing their lead to 18-9. Tracy Grollman scored and ended the Golden Griffins’ scoring streak at the 7:55 mark. After Grollman, Kyleigh Dill, and Kelsea Dague each added a goal of their own. The final goal was scored by Canisius, resulting in a 19-12 loss for EMU.
Notable successes
Although the Eagles’ win streak ended in Buffalo, there were some notable moments within the game. Amber Alderman obtained a new career-high of four goals in a single game. Alderman now has a career total of 53 points, which makes her the sixth player in program history to do so.
Mackenzie Blackwell was another Eagle who had a great game as she had three shots-on-goal, all of which led to a score, achieving a hat-trick.
Goalkeeper Maddy Porter made six saves on the day, bringing her career total to 351, and she is the first Eagle to reach that milestone. Porter continues to demonstrate why she was named the 2024 MAC Freshman of the Year.
Looking ahead
The next game for the Eagles will be on the road against the University of Oregon on Feb. 22, 2026, at 12:00 PM. The game held at Papé Field in Eugene, Oregon, can be viewed live on B1G+ TV.
