Box Score

Things are starting to come together for the fourth-ranked Grand Valley State women's soccer team, particularly at the offensive end of the pitch, where it tallied six goals off eight assists in a 6-0 drubbing of Findlay on Sunday (Sep. 28) afternoon. Almost everyone had a hand in the Lakers' offensive outburst, as five different players – Katie Bounds, Marti Corby, Katie Klunder, Gabriella Mencotti and Jenny Shaba – finished the match with at least one goal and one assist.
 
"We did a really good job of establishing tempo and possession. We used creative combinations to get goals, and our forwards and midfielders were on the same page," said head coach Jeff Hosler. "The girls played with a purpose and sense of urgency I haven't seen in quite some time…It was a feel-good day across the board."
 
According to Hosler, scoring shortly after the eight-minute mark in the first half helped GVSU build that feeling of purpose. Mencotti and sophomore midfielder Gabbie Guibord teamed up to find junior midfielder Katie Klunder, who knocked a ball into the right side of the netting, giving the Lakers an early lead.

In the tail end of 18^th minute, Bounds fed Corby for GVSU's second goal. The former came back with an unassisted goal of her own exactly two minutes and eight seconds later, giving the Lakers a 3-0 advantage.
 
Everything remained the same after halftime. Just five minutes after the break, Mencotti notched her fifth goal of the season via wonderful passing by Corby and Shaba.
 
From then on, Shaba, who recorded a game-high four points, was a force to be reckoned with. The West Bloomfield, Michigan native took a pass from Guibord and turned it into a 61^st-minute goal, her second of the year. With things already well in hand, Shaba and Klunder set up sophomore forward Kendra Stauffer for the club's sixth goal of the afternoon.
 
Although the Laker forwards had the best day on paper – they accounted for four goals and five assists – it was an altogether different position player who had the biggest impact on the match.
 
"Everyone played much closer to, or at, their capability level today. When a team plays that well it is hard to pick out one player (that stood out)," said Hosler. "The most impactful was Gabbie Guibord; she was dominant in the air, physical within the rules and was a great distributor from the holding mid position; she completed 96 percent of her passes and had a very thorough, efficient game today."
 
The Oilers only managed seven shots, none of which were overly threatening attempts, a sign that GVSU's defense is getting more comfortable with Hosler's scheme. Moreover, senior goalkeeper Andrea Strauss made six saves and earned her third solo shutout of the year.
 
"The backline continues to get better, more organized and is understanding what we are trying to do," said Hosler. "It was good team defending."
 
With their win at Findlay, the Lakers improved to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in GLIAC play. The club also extended its conference winning streak to 26 matches, leaving it one win away from tying seventh-longest run in Division II history.
 
GVSU will play six of its next eight matches at home, a place it has not lost since 2008. The Lakers will kick off the lengthy homestand with a non-conference tilt against Indianapolis set for Wednesday (Oct. 1) at 5 p.m., followed by a GLIAC match versus Walsh at 7 p.m. on Friday (Oct. 3).

Notes:
-GVSU avenged its last loss in GLIAC play - a 3-2 setback at Findlay back on Oct. 12, 2012 - with its win this afternoon
-Since 1999, the Lakers are 104-19-6 in the month of September
-With its third road win of the year, GVSU is now 50-18-5 all-time in away matches played during September
-In matches played away from the GVSU Soccer Field since 2005, the Lakers are 40-3-5
-GVSU improved to 14-6-1 all-time aginst Findlay, and it has won 14 of the last 15 matches in the series
-With her start today, senior midfielder Charlie Socia has appeared in 82 consecutive matches, surpassing Mirela Tutundzic for the 11^th-longest streak in school history