Sept. 7, 2007

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#1 Grand Valley State got goals from three different players en route to a 3-1 win over the University of Indianapolis. Katy Tafler, Kristen Eible and Ashley Elsass all found the back of the net for the Lakers, and Kristina Nasturzio recorded three saves to move to 5-0 on the year. Nasturzio entered the match with a shutout streak of 336:58 and added another 69:28 before surrending a marker to Ashley Seehase.

At the start of the match, the Lakers looked sharp. They pressed the attack and notched the first goal just 5:54 into the contest. Tafler took a feed from Amber Bloem and charged to the top of the 18-yard box. She ripped a shot from just outside of the box that glanced off the oustretched hand of Indy keeper Abby Tracy and just inside the post.

After the first goal, the Grand Valley attack died down and Indianapolis even showed some offensive bursts, challenging the Laker defense. At halftime, the shot count was 10-2 in favor of GVSU.

Head coach Dave DiIanni motivated his team at half and they came out the same way that they did in the first half. Just 8:19 into the second half, the Laker pressure paid off, as a cluster of players in the UI 18-yard box resulted in the second GVSU goal of the day. Tafler managed to get a foot on the ball to send it back to Eible, who was about eight yards out. Since the defenders and keeper had converged on Tafler, Eible had an empty net and buried the chance, making it 2-0 Lakers.

Shortly after the goal, Indianapolis got a little heated, which resulted in a yellow card to Melissa Sherman and a second to head coach Geoff VanDeusen. It didn't stop the Greyhounds, though, as they cut the Laker lead in half with a goal in the 70th minute. Seehase took a long ball and broke away from midfield. She came in one-on-one with Nasturzio and beat her to the lower-left hand side of the net to make the score 2-1.

Indianapolis continued to pressure the attack, but GVSU's defense limited the amount of shots that the Greyhounds took. Elsass made sure that the Lakers would stay ahead when she beat two defenders at the top of the box and blazed a shot to the lower-right hand side of the goal to put the Lakers up 3-1. The score stayed that way until the final whistle sounded.

The Lakers outshot the Greyhounds by a margin of 26-6. The 'Hounds were much more accurate with their shots, putting four of their six on frame, while the Lakers had nine of their 26 shots go on goal.

GVSU, ranked first in the nation with a 5-0 record, will host Lewis on Wed., Sept. 12 in Allendale, Mich. The Lakers moved to first in the nation after previous #1 Metropolitan State lost a 1-0 match to Winona State on a penalty kick. GVSU also gained some ground on Friday, when Metro State tied Fort Lewis 1-1.