Oct. 12, 2008

Box Score

Ashland, Ohio - Grand Valley State won its 14th consecutive match on Sunday, as Ashley Elsass and Irie Dennis both scored twice in a 6-0 win at Ashland. The No. 1 Lakers have shut out their last nine opponents and have given up just two goals on the season. GVSU (14-0, 9-0 GLIAC) will return home to take on Findlay at 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 17.

The match was the 22nd conference win in a row for the Lakers, which ranks fifth in the Division II all-time records. Kristina Nasturzio made three saves in 69 minutes of action, extending her shutout streak to 809:55 and pushing her into the top 10 in Division II history. Katy Tafler and Jaleen Dingledine also scored for Grand Valley State.

Dennis started the scoring just 54 seconds into the match, taking a pass from Tafler and lofting a shot over AU keeper Krista Herbst's head from 12 yards out. In the 35th minute, Tafler scored her team-leading 13th goal of the season by deking past a defender and scoring from eight yards out. Dingledine made it 3-0 with just three seconds remaining in the half when she took a feed from Jamie Radley, charged down the left side a put a shot past Herbst at the 44:57 mark.

GVSU didn't wait long to continue scoring once the second half began. Elsass scored her first of the match and seventh of the season 4:28 into the second stanza when she took a shot from 15 yards out on the left side. Dennis notched her second tally of the match just 2:09 later. Tafler played a ball into the box and Dennis beat Herbst from five yards out. Elsass concluded the scoring in the 67th minute when her shot from 10 yards out found the bottom right corner of the net. Tafler was credited with an assist on the marker.

Both Elsass and Erin Mruz were shown yellow cards in the match. The Lakers outshot the Eagles by a 29-4 margin, including an 18-3 edge in shots on goal. Tafler finished the match with five points (one goal, three assists), as well as a match-high eight shots. Sam DeNio played 21 minutes of scoreless action for the Lakers, giving her just more than 60 minutes of shutout soccer this season.