A dominant start in Ypsilanti
The Eastern Michigan University lacrosse team made history on Saturday afternoon, March 14, by delivering a comprehensive performance in its first-ever home Mid-American Conference (MAC) opener. Facing off against Kent State University at Scicluna Field, the Eagles (6-4, 1-0 MAC) snapped a two-game slide with a decisive 12-6 victory over the Golden Flashes (4-4, 0-1 MAC). The win was marked by a relentless offensive attack in the first half and a record-setting defensive stand that stifled any hopes of a Kent State comeback.
The Eagles wasted no time establishing their dominance, finding the back of the net less than a minute into the contest. Emerson Henry opened the scoring with an unassisted goal at the 14:06 mark, setting a tone of aggressive play that Kent State struggled to match. Minutes later, Mackenzie Blackwell scored the first of her three goals on the day, assisted by Tracy Grollman, who would prove to be the primary architect of the Eagles' offense throughout the afternoon. Grollman then added her own tally off a feed from Kendall Nagle, and Roya Khaleeli capped the first-period surge with a free-position goal to give EMU a commanding 4-0 lead after the first 15 minutes.
Grollman and Blackwell lead the offensive charge
As the game moved into the second quarter, the Eagles continued to press their advantage. While Kent State managed to get on the board with a goal from Morgan Halli, EMU responded quickly. Blackwell notched her second goal of the game, assisted by Kyleigh Dill, to keep the momentum firmly in the Eagles' favor. The final minute of the first half was particularly devastating for the Golden Flashes, as Kelsea Dague and Henry both scored within 17 seconds of each other—both goals assisted by Grollman—to send the Eagles into the locker room with a 7-1 halftime lead.
Tracy Grollman was spectacular as a playmaker, finishing the day with six points on two goals and four assists. Her four assists tied for the third-highest total in a single game in program history and marked her fifth game this season with at least four points. Grollman’s vision on the field has been a consistent asset for EMU; she has now recorded at least two assists in five consecutive games, bringing her program-leading career total to 56 assists.
Blackwell’s milestone and Porter’s wall
The second half saw Kent State attempt a rally, putting up three goals in the third quarter to narrow the gap to 9-4. However, the Eagles' defense, anchored by a historic performance from goalkeeper Maddy Porter, refused to buckle. Porter finished the game with 16 saves, the most ever by an EMU goalkeeper in a MAC contest, surpassing her own record of 14 saves set against Kent State last year. With this performance, Porter also became the first netminder in program history to surpass the 400 career saves milestone.
Offensively, Mackenzie Blackwell continued to rewrite the record books. By completing her 37th career hat trick in the fourth quarter, Blackwell also reached the 200-point milestone for her career. She is the first player in Eastern Michigan history to reach 50, 100, 150, and 200 points. Blackwell’s 200th point came on an assist to Amber Alderman with just under four minutes remaining in the game. In addition to her three goals and two assists, Blackwell set a career-high with four caused turnovers, highlighting her impact on both ends of the field.
Historic defensive statistics and what’s next
The Eagles’ defensive unit, including Haley Hodak, who tied her career-high with four ground balls, held Kent State to just six goals. This total tied the program record for the fewest goals ever allowed in a home game or a MAC contest. The six-goal margin of victory also stands as the third-highest for a home game in program history.
With this victory, Eastern Michigan improves to 3-1 all-time against Kent State, having won the last three meetings between the two programs. The Eagles also moved to a perfect 3-1 in MAC home openers. Looking ahead, the Eagles will take their momentum on the road as they travel to Detroit to face the University of Detroit Mercy on Thursday, March 19, at 4 p.m. Following their strong conference start, EMU will look to continue their ascent in the MAC standings.
