ALLENDALE, Mich. – For the third time in as many years, top-seeded Grand Valley State hoists the GLIAC Tournament Championship trophy after taking down second-seeded Tiffin 22-13 in the 2015 GLIAC Tournament Championship game on Sunday (May 3). The Lakers scored 12 goals in the second half to power past the Dragons, giving them a program best 15-4 record to close out the 2015 season.
 
The teams last met on April 19 at GVSU Lacrosse/Track & Field Stadium, where the Lakers used a 13-goal second half to pull away from the Dragons and win 19-8 to clinch the GLIAC regular season title for the third year in a row.
 
Sophomore midfielder Erika Neumen, who was named the GLIAC Tournament MVP, finished with six goals and three assists for a game-high nine points. Senior attacker Victoria Devine and sophomore midfielder Ryan Skomial both scored three goals and tallied one assist for four points. Redshirt senior Sarah Lowe also scored four points, dishing out three assists and scoring one goal to do so.
 
Skomial and Neumen pulled down seven draw controls and scooped up three ground balls each. Skomial also caused two turnovers in the win, tying her with Kira Dosenberry for the team lead.
 
Carolyn Kraus, who scored two goals in the win, grabbed five draw controls and caused one turnover. Sarah Zwilsky made 11 saves in the win and intercepted a pass for a caused turnover.
 
Grand Valley State scored on five extra-player opportunities, and went 8-15 from the free-position arc. They were also 14-15 on clear attempts while holding Tiffin to just 14-19 on clear attempts.
 
Grand Valley State scored the game's first goal off a shot by Rachel Leibovitz, but Tiffin would take their first and only lead of the game on back-to-back goals by Emily Roussel. GVSU tied the game after Neumen ripped a fastball past Tiffin goalkeeper Jessica Bombard and then took the lead for good with Devine's first goal of the day.

Three consecutive free-position goals by Leibovitz and Neumen put the Lakers up by four before Tiffin scored three straight goals in under two minutes to make it a one-goal game. Tallies by Skomial and Devine 28 seconds apart late in the half put the GVSU lead at three before scored on a free-position shot to make the score 8-6.
 
Lowe helped Neumen score her fourth goal the day, and Leibovitz scored her second free-position goal of the half to put the lead at 10-6. Two consecutive Tiffin goals in the final 41 seconds of the half put the score at 10-8, and the championship match appeared to live up to the pre-game hype.
 
Amanda Flotteron scored an unassisted goal two and a half minutes into the opening half to pull the Dragons to within one, but the Lakers responded with four unanswered goals in a span of six minutes to pull ahead 14-9 with 20 minutes remaining in the championship game. The teams then traded goals for the next five minutes before Grand Valley State went off for five unanswered goals to put the game well out of reach and secure their third sweep of the GLIAC Tournament and regular season titles.
 
Grand Valley State finishes the season with their best overall record of 15-4, and a perfect 7-0 in GLIAC play. The Lakers are 29-0 all-time against conference opponents, and today's final score marks the fifth time a GLIAC opponent has host to the Lakers by less than 10 goals.
 
Additionally, five Lakers were named to the All-GLIAC Tournament Team. Neumen, Skomial, Zwilsky, Lowe, and Alyssa Neumen all represented Grand Valley State on the 13-player roster comprised of the best players of the tournament.
 
Complete All-GLIAC Tournament Team:
Erika Neumen, Grand Valley State (MVP)
Ryan Skomial, Grand Valley State
Sarah Zwilsky, Grand Valley State
Sarah Lowe, Grand Valley State
Alyssa Neumen, Grand Valley State
Jessica Bombard, Tiffin
Tori Nelson, Tiffin
Emily Roussel, Tiffin
Morgan Sherley, Tiffin
Dana DiPasquale, McKendree
Paige Salthouse, McKendree
Sarah Lankton, Findlay
Olivia Sherman, Findlay
 
Grand Valley State now plays the waiting game with the regular season and GLIAC Tournament concluded, as the NCAA Selection Committee will make their decision on who advances to the NCAA Tournament at 8 p.m. on Sunday (May 3). The Lakers are currently ranked sixth in the North Region based on the April 29 Division II regional rankings.