TicketsCINCINNATI — The University of Cincinnati lacrosse team welcomes Central Michigan at 4 p.m. ET on Friday at Nippert Stadium.
The match will be broadcast on ESPN+.
// DOMINATING THE ATTACK
Sophomore Paige Selhorn was named the Week 2 Big 12 Attacker of the Week, the conference announced Wednesday afternoon.
Selhorn totaled 13 points over the week, recording seven assists and six goals across two impressive performances. Against Wofford, she put together a career-high eight-point outing — four goals and four assists — helping lead the Bearcats to a 17-7 road victory. Both marks are tied for 10th in program history for a single game. She followed that up with two goals and three assists in Cincinnati's matchup against Ohio State.
The Westbury, N.Y., native has quickly established herself as one of the nation's top offensive threats. She ranks second in the country in total assists (12), third in points (24) and 10th in goals (12), while also sitting first in the Big 12 in assists per game (3.0) and second in both goals per game (3.0) and points per game (6.0). The honor is the third weekly conference award of her career.
// DOMINATING THE DRAW
Led by sophomore Morgan Handzel, the Bearcats have dominated the draw through their opening three matchups. Handzel has totaled 42 draw controls this season — 10.5 per game, which ranks eighth nationally — including 14 against Xavier, the second-most in a single game in program history, and 13 against Ohio State, tied for the fourth-most in a single game in program history.
The Bearcats are averaging 17.7 draws won per contest — seventh nationally — while posting a .634 draw percentage that ranks 19th in the country.
// LAST TIME OUT
The Bearcats fell in their 2026 home opener against Ohio State, 19-8, on Monday at Nippert Stadium.
Cincinnati was led by Selhorn, who recorded two goals and three assists. Senior Lexie Wolfe chipped in two goals and forced four turnovers. Handzel continued her strong season in the draw circle, winning a game-high 13.
The difference in the game was Ohio State's shot volume, as the Buckeyes outshot Cincinnati 26-13 on goal. The Bearcats held a 13-6 advantage in the draw circle.
Former Bearcat Camryn Callaghan scored six goals in her return to Nippert Stadium.
Wolfe opened the scoring for Cincinnati off a Selhorn assist to tie the game at 1-1 in the first quarter, but the Buckeyes answered with three straight goals to take a 4-1 lead. Payton Kozina closed the opening period with a goal to cut the deficit to 4-2.
Callaghan took over in the second quarter, scoring three consecutive goals to push Ohio State's lead to 7-3. Junior Lilly Stelzer converted a free position shot to make it 7-4 with 4:46 remaining. Selhorn added her second goal with 48 seconds left, but Kate Tyack answered with 15 seconds remaining to give the Buckeyes a 9-5 halftime advantage.
Ohio State opened the third quarter with two quick goals before Stelzer responded with a drive to the net, making it 11-6. Wolfe and Selhorn connected again with 1:08 remaining to trim the deficit to 12-7.
The Buckeyes closed out the game with a 7-1 run in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
// SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN
The Chippewas enter Friday’s matchup at 0-3 on the season and in the midst of a challenging seven-game road swing to open the year. Central Michigan has faced stiff early competition, including a season-opening 25-0 loss to No. 25 Notre Dame and most recently a 25-2 setback at No. 2 Northwestern in Evanston. Through three contests, CMU has been outscored 69-8.
In Sunday’s matchup against the Wildcats, the Chippewas generated 12 shots on goal against one of the nation’s top defensive units. Mia Bradley and Lili Sorenson accounted for CMU’s two goals, with Sorenson netting the first of her collegiate career. Sorenson also added an assist, while Natalie DiSanto drew all three of the team’s free-position opportunities and tied for the team lead with three shots on goal.
Caye Kalbacher leads Central Michigan offensively with a team-best four goals on the season and has been a primary scoring option through the opening stretch. The Chippewas have looked to spread opportunities across the attack, though they are still searching for consistent production against ranked opponents.
In the cage, freshman Abby Schroer logged eight saves over the final 32-plus minutes against Northwestern after senior captain Leila Kahler handled the first-half duties. Schroer allowed 10 goals, two of which came in advantage situations, while gaining valuable experience against elite competition.
At the draw circle, Alyssa Lowe and Isabella Bainbridge each secured two draw controls in the Northwestern contest, helping CMU win four of 11 second-half opportunities. The Chippewas also showed efficiency in transition, finishing 11-of-12 on clear attempts and completing their final nine clears of the game.
// SERIES HISTORY
Cincinnati owns a 9-1 all-time record against Central Michigan and has won the previous six matchups. In the most recent meeting on March 2, 2025, the Bearcats comfortably won 13-6 in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
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