Box Score Grand Valley State dropped a 34-32 decision Saturday afternoon at Shepherd in the NCAA DII semifinals. GVSU closes its season 12-3, while Shepherd advances to the NCAA National Championship game next Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri.

Shepherd struck first with a 8-play, 83-yard drive on its oppening possession of the game. The big play was a 43 yard run by Allen Cross and then backup QB Connor Jessop hit WR Billy Brown with a 25 yard TD pass on a broken play. 

The Lakers started fast on offense as sophomore QB Bart Williams hit WR Urston Smith with a 49 yard completion on the Lakers' first from scrimmage. The GVSU drive stalled at the Shepherd 12 yard line, but junior PK Joel Schipper kicked a 29 yard field goal to complete the 7-play, 66-yard scoring drive that took 3:01 off the clock. 

Shepherd's Allen Cross went 55 yards for another TD and Shepherd upped its lead to 14-3

The Laker drove inside the Shepherd 20 yard line again, but Schipper was wide right on a 37 yard field goal attempt and Shepherd maintained a 14-3 lead. 

GVSU was unable to take advantage of a blocked punt when B. Williams was picked off in the endzone with under 30 seconds left in the first half.

The Lakers started second half like they did the first, moving the ball against the stingy Shepherd defense. However, this time they put the ball in the endzone as B. Williams hit Smith with a 21 TD pass and following the Schipper PAT the Rams' lead was just four (14-10) with over 10 minutes left in the third quarter. 

The Laker defense then turned in a key play as Collin Schlosser stripped a Shepherd receiver that Marquez Gollman picked out of the air and returned for a touchdown. Schippers PAT gave GVSU its first lead of the game (17-14). 

Schipper had a 37 yard field goal attempted blocked with 1:30 left in the third quarter and Shepherd took advantage of it, driving 74 yards in five plays as Cross scored from 36 yards out with 14:24 left in the fourth quarter. However, GVSU blocked the PAT and Tre Walton returned it for a defensive two-point score to cut the Shepherd lead to 20-19. Following a GVSU interception Shepherd drove 54 yards in five plays as Jessop hit Bill Brown with with a 2 yard TD pass and the PAT gave the Rams a 27-19 lead. The Shepherd defense then made a big play with an interception return for a touchdown to up its lead to 34-19 with just over 10 minutes left in the game. 

GVSU continued to move the ball in the second half and following a defensive stop GVSU drove 43 yards in six plays as Williams hit RB Terrell Dorsey with a 2 yard TD pass and the PAT pull the Lakers within eight (34-26). Following an onside kick that Shepherd recovered the Laker defense got another stop and took over on its own 25 yard line. B. Williams hit M. Williams with a 49 yard completion, then tossed a 35 yard TD pass to Williams to pull the Lakers within two. The 2-point conversion pass was tipped and Shepherd ran out the clock for the win. 

Bart Williams completed 22-of-52 passes for 334 yards and three TDs, but was picked off three times. Marty Carter ran for 75 yards on 21 carries and Matt Williams caught eight passes for 161 yards and one TD. Urston Smith hauled in six passes for 96 yards and TE Nick Keizer caught two passes for 46 yards. 

Marquez Gollman and Garrett Pougnet led the defense with eight tackles, while Matt Judon added seven stops.