Sept. 30, 2011
Box Score | Postgame Interview
ALLENDALE, Mich. - Behind a first-half hat trick from junior Ashley Botts (Beloit, Wisc.), the No. 5 Grand Valley State women's soccer team downed Northwood, 7-1, on a windy Friday night at the GVSU Soccer Field.
Extend their unbeaten streak to 26 games, the Lakers improve to 8-0-2 overall, while remaining undefeated in the GLIAC at 7-0. Northwood falls to 4-4 on the season and 3-4 in conference play.
Botts became the first Laker to score four goals in a game since Katy Tafler achieved the feat three times in 2007. The junior forward got GVSU on the board in the 20th minute off of a pass from classmate Kayla Addison (Southfield, Mich.). Addison took a shot of her own, which deflected off a defender back at her feet just in time to send the ball to Botts, who was centered in front of the net for the 1-0 lead.
Less than two minutes later, Botts found the back of the net again this time off a pass from senior midfielder Erin Mruz (Gurnee, Ill.). Mruz sent a ball from the midfield, just outside the six-yard line where Botts fired it in. The pair connected at 31:05 once again off of Mruz' corner kick for the 3-0 lead.
Northwood got on the board in the 40th minute when Amanda Watson streaked up the right side of the field, beating a defender and landing a shot past junior keeper Chelsea Parise (Warren, Mich.) to make it 3-1. It would be one of only four shots the Timberwolves would be allowed all game.
GVSU answered back with junior Alyssa Mira's (Livonia, Mich.) first goal of the season with under a minute remaining in the first half. Senior Lindsey Marlow cross a ball from the right side of the net to Mira, who headed it in past keeper Rebecca Lipinski.
In the second half, Botts tallied her fourth goal of the game and 12th of the season at 60:04 off a pass from Mira for the 5-1 lead. Botts then got an assist on the sixth Laker goal when Addison made a quick move around a defender to make it 6-1.
Junior Maria Brown notched the final goal of the game at 71:32, heading a nicely placed corner kick by Mruz.
Grand Valley State controlled the pace of the game taking 33 shots, while tallying 13 corner kicks to Northwood's one. Lipinski made 10 saves in the loss, while Parise tallied one.
GVSU now heads on a five-game road swing beginning with Ohio Dominican on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 2 p.m. Live stats and live video will be available via Ohio Dominican's website on GVSULakers.com
