Oct. 17, 2008

Box Score

Allendale, Mich. - All three starting forwards scored twice for Grand Valley State in a 7-1 win over Findlay on Friday, Oct. 17. Katy Tafler, Irie Dennis and Ashley Elsass finished the match with five points each, while Erin Mruz chipped in three for the No. 1 Lakers. GVSU (15-0, 10-0 GLIAC) stays home to take on Tiffin at 12 noon on Sunday, Oct. 19.

Grand Valley State has now won 23 consecutive conference matches (t-4th all-time in Division II) and have not lost at home in their last 34 matches (7th all-time in Division II). Kristina Nasturzio allowed her first goal in her last 880:01, a shutout streak that ranks fifth all-time in Division II. Tafler's two goals and five points give her 109 goals (3rd all-time in Division II) and 255 points (4th all-time in Division II). The Lakers have given up just three goals in 15 matches this season.

The match started off with Findlay taking a shot, one of just two shots on goal for the Oilers in the match. Nasturzio made the save at the 2:34 mark and Tafler responded at 13:05. Elsass played a ball from the top-left corner of the 18-yard box that Tafler touched home from just in front of the right post. At the 20:19 mark, GVSU scored on some nice passing during a two-on-one. Tafler and Dennis broke in against one defender with Dennis carrying the ball. She played the ball to Tafler, who one-touched it back about eight yards out for a pretty goal and a 2-0 GVSU lead that would carry into halftime. At the break, the Lakers were out-shooting the Oilers by an 11-1 margin, including a 6-1 edge in shots on goal.

GVSU came out firing in the second half, scoring twice in the first 10 minutes of the period. Tafler started it off at the 51:33 mark. Meaghan Robinson played a ball to the right endline that Dennis played along the line and past the keeper to an open Tafler. Tafler's second goal was her 15th of the season. Elsass notched her ninth of the season just 1:10 later when she broke in and beat a defender down the left side. She took a shot from eight yards out that was perfectly placed into the right side of the net to make the score 4-0.

Dennis notched her second of the game in the 70th minute to put GVSU up 5-0. Mruz played a through ball to Dennis, who was cutting down the right side. She handled the pass and beat UF's Alicia Tutino to the near post for her 10th goal of the season. Just 22 seconds after Dennis's goal, Findlay ended Nasturzio and GVSU's shutout streaks. With the ball loose in front of the net, Caitlyn Theaker played it to an open Alex Reist on the left side. Her shot to the right post skimmed past a diving Nasturzio to make it a four-goal game, 5-1. The Lakers had not surrendered a goal in their previous nine matches, out-scoring opponents 31-0.

Mruz reestablished the five-goal lead with her fourth of the season at the 70:06 mark. A loose ball careened to the top of the 18-yard box. Mruz took the loose ball and fired a rocket into the upper-left corner of the net. Elsass finished the scoring with her second of the day in the 77th minute. After receiving a pass, Elsass broke past a defender and came in all alone on the left side. Her shot beat Tutino and put up the final score of 7-1.

GVSU outshot UF by a final margin of 29-2 and put 20 shots on goal. Nasturzio finished with one save on two shots, while Sam DeNio gave the Lakers 19:54 of scoreless goalkeeping. DeNio has not allowed a goal in the 80:00 minutes she has played this season.