Akron Set to Clash with Central Michigan

Saturday, April 3

Akron, Ohio

1:00 PM

University of Akron

Central Michigan

April 02 | Women's Lacrosse

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CENTRAL MICHIGAN: LIVE STATS | LIVE STREAM

AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron women's lacrosse team closes out a its homestand welcoming Central Michigan to InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field for 1 p.m. Mid-American Conference match on Saturday (April 3).

SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN:
Central Michigan enters play against Akron (4-4, 1-2 MAC) owning a 5-5 mark, including a 3-1 ledger in league play following a 21-14 triumph at Kent State on Thursday, April 1. Senior Natalie Karlen leads the Chippewas in goals (36), assists (10), points (46), shots (83) and shots on goal (56). Sophomore GK Sierra Savage has started all 10 matches for Central Michigan and has recorded 93 saves. The Chippewas are led by sixth-year head coach Sara Tisdale, who owns a 38-46 ledger at Central Michigan, and an 89-54 record in nine overall campaigns as a head coach.

ZIPS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS:
Redshirt freshman GK Ashley Lapp (Missouri City, Texas) is rated sixth in the NCAA in save percentage (.526) and seventh in goals against average (7.90). Redshirt freshmen Alexis Kiefer (West Chicago, Ill.) is ranked 27th in the country in shots per game (7.12), 36th in shots on goal per contest (5.25) and 49th in goals (23), while sophomore Kaylee Riggins (Zionsville, Ind.) and freshmen Noelle Boyd (Murrysville, Pa.) stand 27th and 33rd, respectively, in draw controls per outing (5.71) and ground balls per game (2.88).

As a team, Akron is rated 14th in the NCAA in ground ball per game (20.00), 23rd in scoring defense (9.75), 26th in draw control percentage (.557), 28th in caused turnovers (9.38) and 30th in save percentage (.473).

A WEEK AGO:
On the strength of a program-record seven-goal performance from Alexis Kiefer, the University of Akron women's lacrosse team registered a 16-2 non-conference triumph past Presbyterian College on March 23 at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field.

Sparked by a 34-12 advantage in shots, including a 24-8 margin in shots on goal, the Zips improved their home ledger to 3-1 on the campaign with the victory.

Kiefer established a program-record mark for goals in a match with seven, breaking her own record total of six set versus Delaware State on March 9, 2021.

Seven different Akron players found the back of the net in the match. Kiefer's seven goals was followed by Noelle Boyd and redshirt junior Anna Dennison (Fallston, Md.), who tallied three and two goals, respectively. Adding one goal apiece was redshirt freshman Sarah Pattison (Cincinnati, Ohio), Kaylee Riggins and freshmen Anjali Silverheels (Hamburg, N.Y.) and Madeline Shewbridge (Cincinnati, Ohio). The Blue Hose garnered goals from Sarah Marshall and Kelly Hyman.

Notching assists from the Zips were redshirt freshman Kaija Kunttu (Zionsville, Ind.) and Shewbridge.

Goalkeeper Ashley Lapp (Missouri City, Texas) registered six saves in net for Akron, and posted a second-half shutout of Presbyterian. Heidi Shafer collected eight stops in net for the Blue Hose.

Shewbridge opened the scoring in the tilt for the Zips finding the back of the net in the first minute (0:49).

After Presbyterian squared the match at one at the 1:25 mark, Akron netted four unanswered tallies from Boyd (3:29), Dennison (5:50), Kiefer (9:52) and Riggins (11:00) to assume a 5-1 lead with 19 minutes remaining in the half.

The Blue Hose netted a goal at the 20:30 mark, before the Zips closed the initial stanza with scores from Kiefer (15:14, 16:00) and Silverheels (16:37) to enter the intermission leading 8-2. Akron recorded a 19-9 edge in first-half shots.

The Zips opened the second half with two goals apiece from Boyd and Kiefer in the first 10 minutes of the period to extend their lead to 12-2 following a tally from Kiefer in the eighth minute (7:08).

Akron its scoring efforts with goals from Kiefer (13:29, 25:30) and Dennison (15:22), along with the first goal of the year from Pattison in the 24th minute (23:20).

UP NEXT:
Akron is slated to visit Youngstown State on Friday, April 9 for a 7 p.m. tilt.