East Michigan News

The Mid-American Conference recently revealed its weekly lacrosse award recipients, highlighting the achievements of Eastern Michigan University's Mackenzie Blackwell and Robert Morris University's Vivian LaMange, who both earned the MAC Offensive Player of the Week distinction. This accolade marks a notable achievement for Blackwell, as she is the first player this season to receive the offensive award consecutively, and only the third player, factoring in defensive and goalkeeper recognitions.

Blackwell, hailing from North Beach, Maryland, had an impactful performance, scoring 11 goals and providing an assist over two games. Her contributions included a hat trick against Oregon, marking her fifth against a Power 4 team this season, followed by an impressive eight-goal game against Kent State. This set the season record for most goals scored by a MAC player and tied for the third-highest single-game goals in the NCAA.

With her performances, Blackwell's season tally reached 53 goals and 58 points, leading the MAC in both categories. She is the first in EMU's history to achieve over 50 goals in a season, surpassing her previous school record. This week's recognition was Blackwell's third offensive award this season, previously acknowledged on March 4 and April 8, alongside her title as MAC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Week on April 9. She follows Maddie Porter, another EMU player, in receiving back-to-back honors; Porter was recognized for her goalkeeping skills on March 4 and March 11.

In total, the EMU program has received seven awards this season. Alongside Blackwell and Porter, teammate Katheryn Wilson was named MAC Offensive Player of the Week on March 25.

Looking ahead, Eastern Michigan University will face the University of Akron on April 20, with both teams vying for top rankings. The game will be held at Scicluna Field in Ypsilanti and streamed on ESPN+. Updates on the EMU Lacrosse team can be followed on their official website and social media platforms.

The MAC has also awarded Jozey Allen from Central Michigan with the Defensive Player of the Week honor, while Alexa Martell from the same university received recognition as the Goalkeeper of the Week.