Oct. 12, 2007

Final Stats

Allendale, Mich. - Five different players scored goals for Grand Valley State University as the #1 Lakers powered past Northwood University by a score of 7-0 on Friday, Oct. 12. Ashley Elsass and Irie Dennis scored two goals apiece to give the Lakers all the offense they would need. GVSU's defense held the Timberwolves to just one shot on goal all match. The Lakers are now 13-0 on the season and 4-0 in conference play.

Just 1:59 into the match, Dennis charged down the right sideline and fed a ball to Katy Tafler in the six-yard box. Tafler touched the ball behind her to an open Elsass, who put the ball in the empty net for her 10th goal of the season and a 1-0 lead for Grand Valley. Elsass scored her second goal of the match just 20 seconds later, reminiscent of a match earlier this season when she set an NCAA Div. II record with three consecutive goals in 1:09. On her second goal, Elsass broke away at midfield and came in alone against Timberwolves keeper Emily Pierce. Elsass beat Pierce to notch her 11th goal of the year and give the Lakers a 2-0 lead.

Dennis tallied the third goal of the match and her third of the season in the fifth minute, when Elsass brought the ball into the box all alone. When Pierce came out to challenge her, Elsass dumped the ball to Dennis, who one-touched it into the gaping net. The assist gave Elsass five points on the day.

Sue Christenson put Grand Valley up 4-0 just over 15 minutes into the match after Pierce robbed Amber Bloem of a goal. On a free kick 18 yards out, Tafler touched the ball to Bloem, who rocketed a shot to the upper right-hand side of the net. A full-extension Pierce got her fingertips on the ball, forcing it into the crossbar. Unfortunately for Pierce, the ball deflected off the crossbar and right to Sue Christenson, who put it back in for her second goal of the year.

The Lakers scored their second rebound goal of the game in the 29th minute, this one coming courtest of Meaghan Robinson. Robinson's first shot rang off the left goalpost and came right back to her. With Pierce out of position after the initial shot, Robinson put the ball into the back of the net to give the Lakers a 5-0 lead. The goal was her second of the season. The score would still be 5-0 after the first 45 minutes.

Tafler notched her Div. II-leading 26th goal of the season at the 59:30 mark when she won a battle for the ball in the box. After shrugging off two defenders, Tafler launched a shot that beat Northwood's second goalie of the night, Patricia Lamberti. The final goal of the day for the Lakers came with 20:22 remaining in the match. Natalja Stanski sent a cross from the right side of the field that found Dennis all alone inside 10 yards. Dennis touched the ball past Lamberti for her second goal of the game and fourth of the season. The goal made the score 7-0, which was the final.

The Lakers outshot the T'Wolves by a 30-1 margin. Kristina Nasturzio played the first half for Grand Valley and logged one save. Lindsey Klykken and Sam DeNio split time for GVSU in the second half. Tafler finished the match with 11 shots, seven of them on goal. The Lakers have now won 13 games in a row, a school record. They have also won 24 straight home matches.