Box Score

It should no longer come as a coincidence to anyone that Grand Valley State women's soccer forwards Katie Bounds and Jenny Shaba feed off each other's success. Prior to Wednesday (Oct. 1) night's match, the dynamic duo had recorded all of their points (12 between both of them) in the same matches. Against Indianapolis, the two upperclassmen linked up for the evening's first three goals, eventually leading the No. 3 Lakers to a 6-0 romp.
 
Bounds and Shaba combined for three goals and four assists, most of which spurred on GVSU's five-goal second half.

"Bounds is just making the most of every minute she gets and setting a great example for the rest of the group," said head coach Jeff Hosler. "Part of her play has really awoken Shaba. As Bounds has come to life, Shaba has realized she needs to get going; (Shaba) has responded really well the last two games. They were two bright spots for us on the day."

Although the Lakers badgered the Greyhounds' back line nearly every second of the match's opening half, they did not break a scoreless tie until the 37^th minute. Following a pass from Shaba, and some fancy footwork, Bounds got around an Indianapolis defender and snuck a hard shot under the crossbar to put GVSU out in front.

"Bounds was a great spark for us today. She definitely deserved to be on the score sheet," said Shaba. "The team is really happy for her, and I'm really proud of her."
 
Just three minutes after halftime, junior midfielder Maddison Reynolds headed a pass over to Bounds, who fed Shaba a through ball, setting up the senior's smooth finish from just outside the six-yard box. The two got together for a third time a little over seven minutes later, as Shaba played a pass from sophomore midfielder Marti Corby in Bounds' direction, resulting in the doublet's third tally.

"Today, we had great chemistry," said Bounds, who only needed 34 minutes to tally her five points. "I'm proud to play with (Shaba) her senior year."
 
Indianapolis' defense caught its breath for all of 89 seconds before it saw GVSU strike again in the form of Corby, who finished off a pass from Shaba, her third assist of the evening.
 
With a commanding 4-0 advantage, sophomore midfielder Gabbie Guibord remained aggressive and created a turnover in the Greyhound zone. The Novi, Michigan native turned and fired a shot from 20 yards out, driving it past the outstretched arms of reserve goalkeeper Megan Fee and into the netting.
 
Freshman forward Gabriella Mencotti, the reigning GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week, got in on the scoring with a perfectly placed header, courtesy of a spectacular serve from sophomore forward Kendra Stauffer, in the 79^th minute.
 
By the time the final horn sounded, the Lakers had amassed 42 shots – 21 in each half – and yielded a mere six shots.

"There was a more concious effort by our group in the second half to take players on in wide areas and be more dynamic," said Hosler.

Even after what was a one-sided affair by all accounts, Hosler knows this group has plenty to work on as the importance of every match continues to grow.

"Tempo was a concern today. We were not as sharp in tempo or possession as we were over the weekend," said Hosler. "We still have a lot of work to do defensively. Our transitional defending in the midfield was not very good today. Against a team that didn't generate anything in the run of play, there is no reason foul and give them a chance to go at (the) goal."
 
The victory elevates GVSU's overall record to 7-1, and extends its Division II-record home unbeaten streak to 66 matches. If the Lakers are able to avoid losses in each of their next three home matches, they will tie the fifth-longest streak in NCAA history.
 
Next up for GVSU is a GLIAC tilt with Malone, which visits Allendale on Friday (Oct. 3) night. Kick off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Notes:
-GVSU improved to 66-20-2 all-time, including a 3-0 mark this season, and has won 15 consecutive matches against GLVC opponents
-The Lakers have now won 11 consecutive matches against the Greyhounds, upping its record to 11-4-0 in the series
-GVSU has won 34 consecutive October matches on its home pitch
-This was the Lakers' 78th shutout during the month of October in the program's 19-season history
-Gabriella Mencotti has scored a goal in each of GVSU's last three matches
-Jenny Shaba, who holds the school's single-match record for assists (four, against Ferris State on Nov. 8, 2013), became only the third Laker since 2003 to tally three or more assists on two separate occasions
-The Lakers' 42 shots equaled the sixth-highest output in program history, and were the most since it racked up 46 attempts in a 7-0 win over Walsh on Oct. 6, 2013