TicketsCINCINNATI — The University of Cincinnati lacrosse team is set to face Kent State on the road at 4 p.m. ET on Friday at Dix Stadium. The Bearcats will then travel to Ypsilanti, Mich., to take on Eastern Michigan on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET.
// DOMINATING THE DRAW
Led by sophomore Morgan Handzel, the Bearcats have established themselves as one of the nation's premier draw units.
Handzel has totaled 75 draw controls this season — 9.4 per game, ranking 11th nationally. Her 14 draws against Xavier mark the second-most in a single game in program history, while her 13 against Ohio State are tied for the fourth-most.
As a team, Cincinnati is averaging 15 draw controls per contest — 18th nationally and second in the Big 12 — while posting a .606 draw percentage that ranks 16th in the country and leads the conference.
// DISHING OUT DIMES
Sophomore Paige Selhorn recorded a school-record seven assists and added three goals for 10 points in a dominant 14-6 victory over Central Michigan on Feb. 20.
The Westbury, N.Y., native has quickly emerged as one of the nation's top offensive threats. She leads the country in total points (50), ranks second in assists (24) and third nationally in goals (26). Within the Big 12, she sits first in points per game (6.3), second in assists per game (3.0) and third in goals per game (3.3).
// LAST TIME OUT
Cincinnati used a strong fourth-quarter push to pull away from Mount St. Mary's, earning a 9-6 home victory Sunday afternoon at Nippert Stadium.
The Bearcats led just 1-0 after the first quarter before igniting a 3-0 run to open the second and take a 4-1 advantage. The Mountaineers rallied to trim the deficit to 5-4 at the half, and the third quarter remained a defensive battle. Cincinnati pulled away with three unanswered goals in the fourth to secure the win.
Selhorn led the offensive attack with four goals and an assist — her fourth game this season with at least four scores. Paige Counts and Devon Cherry each added two goals, with Counts also tallying two assists. Graduate goalie Emma Mielke impressed between the pipes, recording seven saves on a season-best .778 save percentage. Cincinnati also dominated the draw circle, 13-4.
// SCOUTING KENT STATE
Kent State enters Friday's matchup riding a hot start to the 2026 season, sporting a 4-1 record following an 11-5 home victory over Xavier. The Golden Flashes are led offensively by Lizzie Lundeen, who has a team-high 13 goals, while Zayda Crumpton paces the squad with 12 goals and 10 assists.
Crumpton has been a force across the stat sheet, tallying four goals and two assists against Xavier. Defensively, sophomore Anna Zucconi anchors the unit with a team-high 15 caused turnovers.
In net, junior goalkeeper Sydney Davis has been one of the top goalkeepers in the country, leading the nation in saves per game and ranking second in save percentage. She recorded 12 saves against Xavier and was named MAC Goalkeeper of the Week for the third time in four weeks following the performance.
// SCOUTING EASTERN MICHIGAN
Eastern Michigan enters Sunday's matchup at 5-3 following a tough 11-8 road loss at Vanderbilt. The Eagles are led offensively by Mackenzie Blackwell, who has 23 goals and nine assists on the season.
Blackwell recorded a hat trick against the Commodores, completing it with four seconds remaining in the game. Tracy Grollman became the program's all-time assists leader during the contest, while Emerson Henry tallied two goals and an assist. Defensively, Karly Low leads the team with 12 caused turnovers.
In net, junior Maddy Porter has been outstanding for Eastern Michigan, recording a program-record 21 saves against Vanderbilt — the most by any NCAA Division I goalkeeper in a single game this season. Her performance pushed her to 75 saves on the year, the most in Division I.
// SERIES HISTORY
Cincinnati owns an undefeated 7-0 all-time record against Kent State. In the most recent meeting on Feb. 2, 2025, the Bearcats won 15-4 in Dix Stadium.
UC holds a 1-0 advantage in the series against EMU, with the only meeting happening on March 9, 2025, where Cincinnati earned a 13-19 victory in Nippert Stadium.
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