Akron Set to Battle Eastern Michigan in MAC Lacrosse Championship Semifinals

EASTERN MICHIGAN: LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO

AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron lacrosse team is set to make its first ever appearance in the Mid-American Conference Championship on Thursday (May 1) as the third-seeded Zips battle second-seeded Eastern Michigan at 2 p.m. in Moon Township, Pa.

AKRON EARNS FIRST EVER MAC REGULAR SEASON TITLE:
With its 14-12 come-from-behind victory over Robert Morris on Sunday (April 27) the Zips earned a share of their first-ever Mid-American Conference regular season title.

FOUR ZIPS AND HEAD COACH ELAINE JONES GARNER ALL-MAC ACCOLADES:
Akron garnered a program-record four All-Mid-American Conference selections when the league unveiled its 2025 award winners in a vote of the league coaches released on Wednesday (April 30).

Akron head coach Elaine Jones was recognized as the league's Coach of the Year as she led the Zips to their first ever MAC Regular Season title after the squad was picked to finish last in the preseason coaches' poll.

Redshirt senior Noelle Boyd (Murrysville, Pa.) and sophomore Sienna Hinchcliffe (Rochester, N.Y.) headlined the Zips' award winners as the duo was selected as First-Team All-MAC honorees.

Pulling in Second-Team All-MAC laurels was junior Katie Baumer (Rochester, N.Y.). Additionally, freshman Julia Mattingly (Leonardstown, Md.) was tabbed to the MAC All-Freshman team.

POSTSEASON HISTORY:
The Zips will be making their first ever postseason appearance when the squad battles Eastern Michigan on Thursday (May 1).

EIGHT ZIPS HONORED ON SENIOR DAY:
Akron recognized eight Zips on Senior Day prior to the squad's match with Robert Morris on Sunday (April 27). The group of Noelle Boyd, Jaelyn Clinkscales (Rochester, N.Y.), Bryanne Harner (Friendswood, Texas), Kylie Harris (Lake Norman, N.C.), Chloe Herrera (Houston, Texas), Hannah Sanders (Massillon, Ohio), Graceann Schwab (Rochester, N.Y.) and Antonia Trickett (Cleveland, Ohio) donned the Blue and White one final time at home when Akron hosted the Colonials

ZIPS NAME TRIO TEAM CAPTAINS FOR 2025:
The Akron senior trio of Noelle Boyd, Jaelyn Clinkscales and Bryanne Harner will serve as the Zips' captains for the 2025 campaign.

SCOUTING AKRON:
Sienna Hinchcliffe leads the Zips in goals (53), points (65), shots (123) and shots on goal (94). Noelle Boyd paces the squad in assists (23) and draw controls (68) and ranks second in ground balls (36). Katie Baumer directs the team in caused turnovers (21). Goalkeeper Hannah Sanders has registered 122 saves and a team-high 37 ground balls.

SCOUTING EASTERN MICHIGAN:
Akron is meeting Eastern Michigan for the fourth time in program history. The Eagles enter their showdown with the Zips at 8-8 on the campaign, including 4-2 in the Mid-American Conference, following a 18-14 setback versus Marquette on April 25. Junior Mackenzie Blackwell directs Eastern Michigan's offensive efforts pacing the squad in goals (59), points (64), shots (131) and shots on goal (86), while ranking second in draw controls (42). Sophomore goalkeeper Maddie Porter has collected 170 saves and 70 ground balls on the campaign en route to posting a 11.05 goals against average. Eastern Michigan is led by first-year head coach Maddie Dugan, who owns a 8-8 ledger as a head coach for the Eagles and is 34-67 overall in seven years as a head coach.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (APRIL 20, 2025 – YPSILANTI, MICH.):
Eastern Michigan tallied five unanswered goals in the final period to register a come-from-behind 16-12 triumph over the University of Akron lacrosse team on Sunday (April 20).

HOW IT HAPPENED:
• Sienna Hinchcliffe scored a team-high four goals on the strength of a team-best seven shots, all on goal.
• Katie Baumer added three goals and a pair of assists for the Zips, while contributing two, two and one goal, respectively, for Akron was Noelle Boyd, junior Heather Carey (Williamsville, N.Y.) and Kylie Harris.
• Tallying a game-high four assists was Boyd, while Baumer dished out a pair of assists and Jaelyn Clinkscales recorded one.
• Antonia Trickett led the Zips with a team-best three ground balls, while Baumer and Hinchcliffe garnered seven and six draw controls, respectively.
• Baumer led Akron with a pair of caused turnovers, while Hannah Sanders tallied seven saves for the Zips.

OUR LAST TIME OUT:
Sparked by a six-goal effort from Sienna Hinchcliffe, Akron captured its first-ever Mid-American Conference regular season title on the strength of a come-from-behind 14-12 victory on Senior Day over Robert Morris on Sunday (April 27) at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Health Field.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
• Hinchcliffe scored a game-high six goals on the strength of a game-best 11 shots, including nine on goal.
• With her second goal of the afternoon Hinchcliffe broke the single season record for goals scored (48) at Akron set by Alexis Kiefer during the 2021 campaign.
• Noelle Boyd tallied three goals, including the game-winning goal with 6:36 left in the contest. She added a game-high two assists on the strength of recording seven shots, including five on goal.
• Garnering one goal apiece was Heather Carey, Jaelyn Clinkscales, Kellen Fletcher, Kylie Harris and Chloe Herrera.
• Posting two assists was Clinkscales, while Fletcher, Herrera and Graceann Schwab each posted one assist.
• Katie Baumer added a game-high nine draw controls, while five Zips collected a caused turnover in the match.
• Sophomore Kacey Hopkins (Riva, Md.) recorded a game-high five ground balls.
• Hannah Sanders tallied 10 saves for the Zips.
• The victory guaranteed Akron its first winning record in program history.
• The Zips recognized its senior class of Boyd, Clinkscales, Bryanne Harner, Harris, Herrera, Sanders, Schwab and Antonia Trickett in pregame ceremonies.

AKRON NOTES:
• Sienna Hinchcliffe supplanted Alexis Kiefer as the single season record holder for goals in program history with a career-best six-goal effort against Robert Morris (April 27). She enters play against Eastern Michigan with 53 goals this season.
• Noelle Boyd became Akron's all-time leading goal scorer when she netted her first goal of the game versus Central Michigan (March 23).
• Sienna Hinchcliffe has set the single-season record for points (65), shots (123) and shots on goal (94), while Noelle Boyd owns the top single-season mark for assists (23) and Hannah Sanders for saves (122) and wins (9).
• Hannah Sanders surpassed 300 career saves with a career-best 13 save performance at UMBC on April 11. She enters play versus Eastern Michigan with 329 career saves.
• Noelle Boyd surpassed Alexis Kiefer atop the career list for shots versus Robert Morris (April 27) having amassed 311 shots, while moving atop the list for shots on goal with 243 shots on goal against Eastern Michigan (April 20). Additionally, she has started a program record 66 games.
• Katie Baumer is seven caused turnovers away from supplanting Jenna Ridener atop Akron's career list.

IN THE LATEST MAC RANKINGS:
• Akron leads the Mid-American Conference in assists per contest (6.19), points per tilt (18.00) and goals against average (11.06) and ranks second in shots on goal (21.44).
• Sienna Hinchcliffe is first in the conference in points per outing (4,06), second in goals per game (3.31) and shots per contest (7.69*) and eighth in draw controls (3.81).
• Noelle Boyd is third in the league in assists per game (1.44) and points per match (3.44), fourth in shots per tilt (5.19), sixth in draw controls per match (4.25), ninth in goals per game (2.00) and 10th in ground balls (2.25).
• Hannah Sanders ranks third in the league in goals against average (10.77), fourth in saves per game (8.13), seventh in save percentage (.431) and eighth in ground balls (2.47).
• Katie Baumer is rated seventh in caused turnovers (1.31), eighth in assists per tilt (0.94) and in draw controls (3.81) and in ninth shots per outing (4.63).
• Antonia Trickett is rated eighth in caused turnovers (1.19).
• In league-only action, Boyd finished first in points per match (4.67), third in goals per game (3.00) and assists per tilt (1.67) and seventh in ground balls (3.17) and shots per contest (6.17). Hinchcliffe was second in shots per contest (8.67) and goals per game (3.33) and sixth in draw controls (4.83) and in points per match (4.00). Baumer was third in caused turnovers (1.83), fourth in draw controls (5.83) and ninth in points per match (3.00), while Sanders was sixth in goals against average (11.17) and in saves per game (8.17) and eighth in save percentage (.422).

ZIPS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS:
• Hannah Sanders is 36th in the NCAA in goals against average (10.77) and 46th in saves per game (8.13).
• Sienna Hinchcliffe is rated 12th in the NCAA in shots on goal (5.88), 19th in shots per game (7.69), 30th in goals per game (3.31) and 36th in total goals (53), while Katie Baumer is 48th in free position percentage (.563).
• Akron ranks 26th in the NCAA in ground balls (17.94), 31st in clearing percentage (.903), 40th in assists per game (6.19), 48th in scoring defense (11.06) and 50th in winning percentage (.563).
• Noelle Boyd is ranked eighth among active NCAA D1 leaders in draw controls (4.43), ninth in ground balls (142), 23rd in ground balls per game (2.09) and 33rd in draw controls per tilt (4.43), while Hannah Sanders is rated 14th in ground balls per contest (2.25), 28th in ground balls (115), 30th in goalkeeper minutes played (2,324) and 33rd in saves (329). Additionally, Sienna Hinchcliffe ranks 28th in goals per match (2.75) and 33rd in points per game (3.53).

UP NEXT:
With a victory Akron advances to the finals of the MAC Lacrosse Championship on Saturday (May 3).

Akron Set to Battle Eastern Michigan in MAC Lacrosse Championship Semifinals

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Players Mentioned

Katie Baumer

Noelle Boyd

Heather Carey

Jaelyn Clinkscales

Kellen Fletcher

Bryanne Harner

Kylie Harris

Chloe Herrera

Sienna Hinchcliffe

Kacey Hopkins

Julia Mattingly

Hannah Sanders

Graceann Schwab

Antonia Trickett

The University of Akron Athletics