Story Courtesy of Eastern Michigan Athletic Communications
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Tracy Grollman tallied eight points on five goals and three assists and the defense pitched a fourth-quarter shutout to spark the Eastern Michigan University lacrosse team to a 16-12 Mid-American Conference victory over the University of Akron on Easter Sunday, April 20, at Scicluna Field in Ypsilanti. The Eagles (8-7, 4-2 MAC) made Easter Sunday a joyous Eastern Sunday as they came back from deficits three times before using a 5-0 fourth quarter to defeat the Zips (8-7, 3-2 MAC) and clinch a spot in the postseason for the second consecutive season.
How It Happened
Emerson Henry (Ashburn, Ontario/Donald A. Wilson) got the scoring started at 13:45 in the first as she was assisted by Roya Khaleeli (Rancho Palo Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula) for a 1-0 lead before the visitors tied the score at 1-1. The Eagles scored the next two goals for a 3-1 lead as Khaleeli was assisted by Abby Alderman (Lusby, Md./Patuxent) before Amber Alderman (Lusby, Md./Patuxent) scored on a pass from Grollman (Annapolis, Md./Annapolis Area Christian School). After UA pulled on back to make it 3-2, the Eagles scored twice more to close out the first with a 5-2 lead. Mackenzie Blackwell (North Beach, Md./Northern) was assisted on her goal by Henry before Henry netted her second on the woman-up advantage off a pass from Avery Schwab (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin-Scioto).
The visitors struck back in the second as the Zips scored five consecutive goals to turn a 5-2 deficit into a 7-5 lead. Grollman scored on a free-position shot to halt the run before Akron added another with 50 seconds to play. Grollman, this time assisted by Am. Alderman, scored with five seconds to play before the break to send the game to halftime with EMU trailing, 8-7.
Following intermission, Grollman continued to show her hot hand as she bagged two more goals to put EMU in front, 9-8. The two teams would go on to trade goals back and forth to close out the quarter with the Zips on top, 12-11. Henry, off an assist from Katheryn Wilson (Dacula, Ga./Mill Creek), and Payton Bloedow (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake/Stony Brook) scored the goals for the Eagles to keep the score close heading into the fourth.
In the final stanza, it was all Eastern as the Eagles would score five goals while blanking the Zips to take the game, 16-12. Schwab scored her first to tie the game at 12-12 with 12:16 to play before Grollman scored her fifth and secured the game-winning goal for the second time this year to make it 13-12. Ab. Alderman scored on a free-position shot before Henry grabbed her career-high fourth goal before Ab. Alderman closed the scoring with 3:04 to play as Grollman assisted on the final two goals.
