Central Michigan University Athletics
Saturday, April 27
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
12:00 p.m. ET
Central Michigan University
vs
Detroit Mercy
Photo by: Benjamin Suddendorf
Senior Day Extra Special For Chippewa Lacrosse
4/26/2019 7:52:00 PM | Lacrosse
First class of signees plays home finale on Saturday
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- The Central Michigan lacrosse team celebrates senior day at the Central Michigan Soccer/Lacrosse Complex as they entertain Detroit Mercy on Saturday, April 27 (noon), in a Southern Conference game.
It marks the Chippewas' final home game of the season.
The seniors who will be competing in the final home game of their respective collegiate careers are Holly Billett, Sydney Wright, Jocelyne Lemay, Clare Laughery, Dominique Gibbons, Natalie Bloniarz, Anna Schoonover, Logan Halvorson, Katherine Sharp, Dominique Hamman and Kelly Spehar.
It is a special Senior Day as the group of 11 seniors comprise the first recruiting class in program history. CMU started the lacrosse program in 2016, when they were freshman.
WHERE THEY STAND
CMU is 7-9, 2-2 SoCon and is coming off a 21-5 nonconference win over Kent State 21-5.
Detroit Mercy also 7-9, 3-1 and lost earlier this week to Michigan 14-7.
LEADERS
Lemay leads CMU in goals with 42, the second-highest total in program history. Lemay has the record at 49 goals. Natalie Karlen leads the Chippewas in points with 53 (39 goals, 14 assists).
Hamman has clocked in 461-plus minutes in goal, and has a 12.61 goals against average and a .446 save percentage. Hope Murray has logged 437-plus minutes, and has a 11.39 GAA and a .528 save percentage.
Kaitlyn Wandelt leads Detroit Mercy in goals with 39. Lexie Kinmond leads the Titans with 71 points (38 goals, 33 assists).
RIVALRY GAME
While Western Michigan is undoubtedly CMU's biggest rival in most sports, when it comes to lacrosse, the Chippewas and Titans are as intense as it comes. Western Michigan doesn't sponsor women's lacrosse, and the proximity of Detroit and Mount Pleasant has helped foster a strong rivalry.
The Chippewas are 0-3 all-time against the Titans, and last season Detroit Mercy defeated CMU and kept it from winning the outright SoCon regular-season championship. As it was, CMU shared the crown.
"The rivalry has been intense and I think in large part it's more intense on our end then it is on their end because we haven't been able to put together a full 60 minutes (against them)," CMU Coach Sara Tisdale said.
The Chippewas have wrapped up a SoCon Tournament berth, as has Detroit Mercy. Saturday's winner will gain a higher seed for the tourney, which is scheduled for May 2-4 at Furman in Greenville, S.C.
"They've been our last game of the season for (three straight years)," Tisdale said. "Unfortunately, I feel like we haven't lived up to our full potential against them. It's intense; there's respect, but it's a pretty good rivalry."
SENIOR DAY
An athlete's Senior Day is always special, and emotions, understandably, run high.
"I'm excited to see all of our work come together," Lemay said. "It's the seniors' last day on our home field, so it's a big deal. Detroit's a very good team, I don't think we've played to our full strength over our last three years against them, and I think we've finally got things together.
"If we come out, we play our game, and play strong, we'll be happy with the outcome. It would be a very big deal if we beat them. Going into the (league tournament) with a win is a big momentum swing. So Saturday's a pretty big deal.
"I think every game we've had that mindset of 'this is your last year' and I don't think that (mindset) should come down to the last game. Everybody (on the team) has had that mindset of 'this is our last year with this senior class' so we need to bring it all together. But there is a heightened expectation of 'this is my last year, and I want to come out with a win.'"
SPECIAL TIMES
The day is also a chance to celebrate and showcase how far that large group of seniors, and the program on the whole, has come in four years.
"I think the most exciting part of the day will be celebrating all of Team 1, as a whole, because we've been through a lot together," Bloniarz said. "There's been good times and bad times, and I think all of us being here on Senior Day shows us we all love each other, support each other, and got here together.
"Everyone that has helped us and supported us all four years is a remarkable thing to have."
In a sense, the group of seniors is not unlike those in any sport. They have formed deep lifelong bonds.
"There's just so many things to miss about this team," Bloniarz said. "These are my best friends and I'm not just saying that to say that. I'm going to miss being goofy. I'm a pretty goofy person, and to not be goofy with my best friends every single day, and to not play the sport that I love, it'll be hard.
"Not seeing the people that support you every day will be hard."
It marks the Chippewas' final home game of the season.
The seniors who will be competing in the final home game of their respective collegiate careers are Holly Billett, Sydney Wright, Jocelyne Lemay, Clare Laughery, Dominique Gibbons, Natalie Bloniarz, Anna Schoonover, Logan Halvorson, Katherine Sharp, Dominique Hamman and Kelly Spehar.
It is a special Senior Day as the group of 11 seniors comprise the first recruiting class in program history. CMU started the lacrosse program in 2016, when they were freshman.
WHERE THEY STAND
CMU is 7-9, 2-2 SoCon and is coming off a 21-5 nonconference win over Kent State 21-5.
Detroit Mercy also 7-9, 3-1 and lost earlier this week to Michigan 14-7.
LEADERS
Lemay leads CMU in goals with 42, the second-highest total in program history. Lemay has the record at 49 goals. Natalie Karlen leads the Chippewas in points with 53 (39 goals, 14 assists).
Hamman has clocked in 461-plus minutes in goal, and has a 12.61 goals against average and a .446 save percentage. Hope Murray has logged 437-plus minutes, and has a 11.39 GAA and a .528 save percentage.
Kaitlyn Wandelt leads Detroit Mercy in goals with 39. Lexie Kinmond leads the Titans with 71 points (38 goals, 33 assists).
RIVALRY GAME
While Western Michigan is undoubtedly CMU's biggest rival in most sports, when it comes to lacrosse, the Chippewas and Titans are as intense as it comes. Western Michigan doesn't sponsor women's lacrosse, and the proximity of Detroit and Mount Pleasant has helped foster a strong rivalry.
The Chippewas are 0-3 all-time against the Titans, and last season Detroit Mercy defeated CMU and kept it from winning the outright SoCon regular-season championship. As it was, CMU shared the crown.
"The rivalry has been intense and I think in large part it's more intense on our end then it is on their end because we haven't been able to put together a full 60 minutes (against them)," CMU Coach Sara Tisdale said.
The Chippewas have wrapped up a SoCon Tournament berth, as has Detroit Mercy. Saturday's winner will gain a higher seed for the tourney, which is scheduled for May 2-4 at Furman in Greenville, S.C.
"They've been our last game of the season for (three straight years)," Tisdale said. "Unfortunately, I feel like we haven't lived up to our full potential against them. It's intense; there's respect, but it's a pretty good rivalry."
SENIOR DAY
An athlete's Senior Day is always special, and emotions, understandably, run high.
"I'm excited to see all of our work come together," Lemay said. "It's the seniors' last day on our home field, so it's a big deal. Detroit's a very good team, I don't think we've played to our full strength over our last three years against them, and I think we've finally got things together.
"If we come out, we play our game, and play strong, we'll be happy with the outcome. It would be a very big deal if we beat them. Going into the (league tournament) with a win is a big momentum swing. So Saturday's a pretty big deal.
"I think every game we've had that mindset of 'this is your last year' and I don't think that (mindset) should come down to the last game. Everybody (on the team) has had that mindset of 'this is our last year with this senior class' so we need to bring it all together. But there is a heightened expectation of 'this is my last year, and I want to come out with a win.'"
SPECIAL TIMES
The day is also a chance to celebrate and showcase how far that large group of seniors, and the program on the whole, has come in four years.
"I think the most exciting part of the day will be celebrating all of Team 1, as a whole, because we've been through a lot together," Bloniarz said. "There's been good times and bad times, and I think all of us being here on Senior Day shows us we all love each other, support each other, and got here together.
"Everyone that has helped us and supported us all four years is a remarkable thing to have."
In a sense, the group of seniors is not unlike those in any sport. They have formed deep lifelong bonds.
"There's just so many things to miss about this team," Bloniarz said. "These are my best friends and I'm not just saying that to say that. I'm going to miss being goofy. I'm a pretty goofy person, and to not be goofy with my best friends every single day, and to not play the sport that I love, it'll be hard.
"Not seeing the people that support you every day will be hard."
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