YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- A back-and-forth battle ended in favor of the Eastern Michigan University lacrosse team, as the Eagles came back from a three-goal deficit twice to defeat visiting Kent State University, 12-11, Sunday, March 31, at Scicluna Field. The Eagles (5-4, 2-0 Mid-American Conference) received many stellar performances in the game, including five goals from Mackenzie Blackwell, four assists from Avery Schwab, Sydney Lawrence posting four caused turnovers, three draw controls, and four ground balls to go with three goals, and Maddie Porter recording eight saves, to down the Golden Flashes (4-9, 1-2 MAC).
 
How It Happened
Eastern took the lead first as Kelsea Dague (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) scored less than one minute into the game before Jackie Wolford scored the first of her five for KSU to knot things at 1-1. Blackwell (North Beach, Md./Northern) picked up her first of the day shortly after to make it 2-1, but the visitors would add two more to their ledger for a 3-2 lead after the first.
 
In the second, Blackwell scored on the advantage with Schwab (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin-Scioto) dealing her first helper to tie the game at 3-3 before the Golden Flashes scored three in a row to make it 6-3 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the quarter. But, the Eagles hung tough and answered the call with three goals of their own. Lawrence (Plano, Texas/Plano East/Oregon) started the EMU comeback as she scored on a free-position shot at 5:46. She then saw a shot saved and, while the KSU defense looked to clear the ball, Lawrence knocked the ball loose from the goalie, secured the ground ball, and raced toward the empty net to score her second in 31 seconds of play. Amber Alderman (Lusby, Md./Patuxent) added a goal with 53 seconds remaining to tie the score at 6-6 at halftime.
 
Following the break, the visitors came out hot as they scored three in a row with the Eagles trailing, 9-6, with 10:45 to play in the third. Kyleigh Dill (Dover, Del./Dover) netted a shot on a pass from Schwab for the Eagles' lone goal in the stanza, sending the hosts into the fourth quarter trailing by two, 9-7.
 
In the fourth, the Eagles tied things up with two quick goals, including a Sister Score as Abby Alderman (Lusby, Md./Patuxent) found the back of the net off a pass from Amber Alderman before Blackwell leveled the score with 12:59 remaining. After a KSU goal made it 10-9 in favor of the visitors, Eastern responded once again, this time by scoring three in a row for a 12-10 lead. Blackwell scored the first and third goals of the run, which sandwiched the third goal of the day by Lawrence, marking her second hat trick of the year. After the Golden Flashes scored with 1:15 remaining to cut the score to 12-11, KSU gained possession and moved into their offensive zone. But, with 18 seconds remaining, Haley Hodak (Severn, Md./Old Mill) caused a turnover with Karly Low (Owen Sound, Ontario/Owen Sound District Secondary) scooping up the ground ball and sprinting down field to run out the clock for the EMU win.
 
Game Notes
»  Eastern improved to 5-4 (2-0 MAC) on the season while Kent State fell to 4-9 (1-2 MAC).
»  At 5-4, the Eagles hold a winning percentage (.556) over .500 for the first time in program history.
»  With a 2-0 record, the Eagles are currently tied for first place in the MAC standings with Central Michigan. Detroit Mercy and Robert Morris are tied for third with 2-1 records.
»  The Eagles have posted consecutive home wins for the first time in program history after defeating Butler, 15-8, March 15.
»  Dating back to last year, the Eagles have won three MAC games in a row. After downing Detroit Mercy, 17-12, April 29, 2023, the Eagles have added wins over Akron (March 24), 11-10, before downing Kent State, 12-11. With the wins over the Zips and Golden Flashes, the Eagles also have posted back-to-back home MAC wins including the defeat of the Titans in 2023.
»  As a team, the 14 caused turnovers recorded are the third-most in any game in program history and the second-most recorded in a MAC contest.
»  Mackenzie Blackwell tallied five goals in the win with six of her seven shots going on frame. Blackwell, who recorded her fourth game-winning goal of the season, was 2-for-2 on free-position shots to tie a career-high (2, vs. Central Michigan, April 5, 2023) while securing her fourth hat-trick in a row, her seventh of the season, and the 14th of her career.
»  Sydney Lawrence put up a big stat line as the graduate student finished with three goals, four ground balls, three draw controls, and four caused turnovers. She tallied her second hat trick of the season and the sixth of her career while the four caused turnovers tie for the most in a single game in program history with the four she recorded, April 22, 2023, at home against Akron.
»  Avery Schwab dished out four assists in the game, tying her own school record. She set the mark last year on the road Xavier, March 12, 2023, before Tracy Grollman (Annapolis, Md./Annapolis Area Christian School) tied the record earlier this year at Delaware State, Feb. 28.
»  Three Eagles tallied a pair of caused turnovers in the game with two tying their career high and one establishing a new mark. Both Annika Wozney (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) and Haley Hodak tied their career-high totals while Lexi Smalline (Rochester, N.Y./West Irondequoit) bettered her career-high of one set twice this year.
»  Maddie Porter (Montrose, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) posted eight saves in the game while adding three ground balls and one caused turnover. She now has three wins to her credit in goal.
 
Series Notes
»  The Eagles win tied the all-time series with the Golden Flashes at 1-1 with Eastern becoming the first home team to win.
»  Kent State won the inaugural meeting, 19-9, April 12, 2023, in Ypsilanti in the first meeting between the two teams.
 
Up Next
Eastern returns to action Wednesday, April 3, when the Eagles take on No. 2 University of Michigan at Martin Luther King Junior High School in Detroit. The 'Grow Our Game' event will see the Eagles and Wolverines meet for a 3 p.m. opening draw. Both teams will welcome youths, aged eighth grade and younger, onto the field after the game to pass and shoot. Admission to the game, as well as parking in the surrounding neighborhood, is free.