Akron Opens Defense of MAC Title Hosting Detroit Mercy

Saturday, March 14

Akron, Ohio

1:00 PM

University of Akron

Detroit Mercy

Akron Opens Defense of MAC Title Hosting Detroit Mercy

March 13 | Women's Lacrosse

AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron lacrosse team is set to open defense of its 2025 Mid-American Conference title welcoming Detroit Mercy to InfoCision Stadium-Summa Health Field for a 1 p.m. match on Saturday (March 14).

PARKING UPDATE: Akron lacrosse fans are encouraged to park in Lot 6, 9 and 10 (Surrounding InfoCision Stadium-Summa Health Field off Vine and Union Streets) for this weekend's lacrosse match. Parking in other lots without appropriate UA permit is subject to ticketing by parking services. Please enter through the main gate to the stadium.

ZIPS NAME TEAM CAPTAINS FOR 2026:
The Akron senior duo of Katie Baumer (Rochester, N.Y.) and Sarah Baumer (Rochester, N.Y.) will serve as the Zips' captains for the 2026 campaign.

SCOUTING AKRON:
Junior Sienna Hinchcliffe (Rochester, N.Y.) leads the Zips in goals (27), points (34), shots (56) and shots on goal (36), while ranking second in caused turnovers (7) and third in ground balls (14). Katie Baumer is second on the team in goals (18). Senior Kellen Fletcher (Valencia, Pa.) and junior Kaitlyn Sikorski (Plymouth, Minn.) pace the squad in assists (11). Senior Heather Carey (Williamsville, N.Y.), ranks third on the squad in goals netting 12. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Adrianna Califano (Bellmore, N.Y.) has registered 47 saves, 16 ground balls and owns a 9.57 goals against average.

SCOUTING DETROIT MERCY:
Akron is meeting Detroit Mercy for the eighth time in program history. The Titans are 0-5 on the campaign following a 20-3 setback at Lindenwood on March 7. Senior Alyssa Jarvis own team-high totals in goals (9), assists (6), points (15), shots (22), shots on goal (20) and ground balls (7), while rating second in draw controls (9) and third in caused turnovers (2). Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Emily Coyne and sophomore Kaitlyn Hedrick have collected 24 and 20 saves, respectively, en route to posting a combined 19.60 goals against average. Detroit Mercy is led by first-year head coach Emma Kuehl, who owns an 0-5 ledger as a head coach for the Titans and is 54-85 in nine seasons overall as a head coach.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (MARCH 30, 2025 – DETROIT, MICH.):
Akron saw its three-match winning streak snapped as Detroit Mercy rallied for a come-from-behind 10-8 Mid-American Conference triumph past the Zips on March 30, 2025, in Detroit, Mich.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
• Katie Baumer led Akron with a team-high three goals, while Noelle Boyd, Sienna Hinchcliffe and Kellen Fletcher added two, two and one goals, respectively.
• Fletcher and Hinchcliffe each recorded an assist for the Zips.
• Boyd and Hinchcliffe tallied a game-high six shots apiece, including four on goal, while Baumer added five shots.
• Boyd and Baumer led the Zips with a team-high three ground balls, while Hinchcliffe garnered a team-best five draw controls.
• Baumer posted a team-high two caused turnovers to go along with an eight-save performance from goalkeeper Hannah Sanders.

AKRON PICKED TO FINISH SECOND IN MAC PRESEASON POLL:
The Mid-American Conference announced the 2026 Preseason Coaches' Poll on Wednesday (Feb. 4) as Akron was selected by the league's women's lacrosse coaches to finish second this season.

Conference newcomer Massachusetts (48 points, 6 first-place votes) was tabbed to capture the regular and postseason championships followed by Akron (37 points), Eastern Michigan (37), Robert Morris (34, 1 first-place vote), Central Michigan (28), Kent State (19), Youngstown State (12) and Detroit Mercy (9).

AKRON FALLS AT ARIZONA STATE:
The University of Akron lacrosse team garnered two goals apiece from Katie Baumer, Heather Carey, Sienna Hinchcliffe and Kaitlyn Sikorski but was unable to overcome an early deficit dropping a 14-8 decision at Arizona State on Wednesday (March 11).

HOW IT HAPPENED:
• The Zips posted a pair of goals in each period in the match.
• Goalkeeper Adrianna Califano was strong in net for the Zips collecting a career- and game-high 10 saves in the match.
• Akron earned a trio of assists with Hinchcliffe notching a pair and Carey accounting for one.
• Califano posted a team-high five ground balls, while Baumer and Hinchcliffe pulled in a one draw control each.
• Senior Sarah Baumer (Rochester, N.Y.) tallied a game-high three caused turnovers.
• Recording a game-high seven shots, including five on goal was Hinchcliffe.

ZIPS CAPTURE MAC TOURNAMENT TITLE:
A golden goal from Jaelyn Clinkscales with 14 seconds remaining in overtime propelled the Akron lacrosse team to its first ever Mid-American Conference Tournament title and NCAA Tournament berth with a come-from-behind 11-10 victory over Robert Morris in the league's title match on May 3, 2025, in Moon Township, Pa.

Picked to finish last in the MAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, the Zips overcame a five-goal second-half deficit to force and overtime and set the stage for Clinkscales' game-winning goal in overtime.

AKRON EARNS FIRST EVER MAC REGULAR SEASON TITLE:
With its 14-12 come-from-behind victory over Robert Morris on April 27, 2025, 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.

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.

Noelle Boyd and Sienna Hinchcliffe headlined the Zips' award winners as the duo was selected as First-Team All-MAC honorees.

Pulling in Second-Team All-MAC laurels was Katie Baumer. Additionally, Julia Mattingly was tabbed to the MAC All-Freshman team.

AKRON NOTES:
• Sienna Hinchcliffe is atop the career list at Akron in goals per game (2.88), points per contest (3.69), assists per outing (0.81), shots per match (6.86) and shots on goal per game (5.05) and woman-up goals, while rating second in total points (155) and assists (34), third in goals (121), shots (288) and shots on goal (212) and fourth in draw controls per tilt (2.69).
• Katie Baumer is now atop Akron's career list in caused turnovers (62). Additionally, she is rated third at Akron draw controls per contest (2.88) and draw controls (164), fourth in points (93), fifth in career assists (28) and sixth in caused turnovers per match (1.09).
• 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 finished the campaign with 59 goals last season.
• Sienna Hinchcliffe set the single-season record for points (73), shots (142) and shots on goal (106), while Noelle Boyd owns the top single-season mark for assists (26) and Hannah Sanders for saves (144) and wins (11).
• Noelle Boyd surpassed Alexis Kiefer atop the career list for shots versus Robert Morris (April 27) having amassed 331 shots, while moving atop the list for shots on goal with 254 shots on goal against Eastern Michigan (April 20). Additionally, she started a program record 69 games.

IN THE LATEST MAC RANKINGS:
• Akron rates first in the Mid-American Conference in goals against average (9.57), second in goals (11.57), assists (5.86), ground balls (18.29) and points per game (17.43) and third in shots (27.43) and shots on goal (18.71).
• Sienna Hinchcliffe is first in the conference in goals per game (3.86), in points per outing (4.86) and in shots (8.00).
• Katie Baumer is fourth in goals per game (2.57), fifth in points (3.57), seventh in shots (5.29) and eighth in draw controls (3.00), while Kellen Fletcher is fourth in assists (1.57).
• Adrianna Califano is second in goals against average (9.57) and fifth in save percentage (.412) and in saves (6.71).
• Additionally, Kaitlyn Sikorski is fourth in assists per match (1.57), Sarah Baumer is second in caused turnovers (1.86) and Julia Mattingly is fourth in draw controls (3.86)
• A year ago, in league-only action, Noelle 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 Hannah 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:
• Katie Baumer is 14tth in the NCAA in free position percentage (.714) and 50th in free position goals (0.71), while Sarah Baumer ranks 45th in caused turnovers (1.86)
• Sienna Hinchcliffe rated sixth in the NCAA in goals per game (3.86), seventh in shots (8.00), 14th in free position percentage (.714), 15th in total goals (27), 20th in shots on goal (5.14), 23rd in points per match (4.86), 32nd in total points (34) and 50th in free position goals (0.71).
• Akron ranks 14th in the NCAA in ground balls (18.14), 18th in winning percentage (.714) and in free position percentage (.556), 40th in scoring defense (9.57), 46th in assists per game (5.86) and 48th in scoring margin (2.00).
• Sienna Hinchcliffe ranks 19th among active NCAA D1 leaders in points per game (3.69) and in goals per outing (2.88) and 30th in total goals (121), while Katie Baumer is rated 37th in caused turnovers (1.09) and 49th in draw controls (2.88).

UP NEXT:
Akron visits rival Kent State for a 5 p.m. tilt at Dix Stadium on Wednesday (March 18).

– AKRON ZIPS –