Dowling (May 13): Live Stats | Video
 
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. – Grand Valley state faces a tall task in their NCAA Tournament debut as they head to the Empire State for a showdown with Dowling in the First Round of the 2016 NCAA Division II Women's Lacrosse Tournament on Friday (May 13) at 3 pm.
 
When the Lakers (15-4, 11-1 GLIAC) take the field on Friday, it will be their first-ever NCAA Tournament game in the program's five years of varsity competition. Fresh off of being crowned the GLIAC Tournament champions on May 8 following a 20-10 win over Findlay in the title game, the Lakers were rewarded by being named the No. 5 seed in the North Region, the first time a school outside the East Coast qualified for the NCAA Tournament from the North Region.
 
The Laker offense, ranked number one in the country in goals scored (313) and goals scored per game (16.47) is led by the quartet of All-GLIAC midfielders with 50+ points heading into Friday's contest. Erika Neumen leads the team with 72 points on a team-best 67 goals and five assists, and stands second on the team in draw controls with 63 and caused turnovers with 25. Second-leading scorer Meghan Datema has 45 goals along with eight assists for 53 points, and leads the team with 67 draw controls to pair with 16 ground balls and eight caused turnovers.
 
Ryan Skomial is the team's second-highest point scorer, racking up 61 points on 39 goals and 22 assists, and has also tallied 25 ground balls, 33 draw controls, and 14 caused turnovers from the attack and midfield positions. Danielle Tunnell has been a force through the tail end of the season, scoring 31 goals in the final nine games of the season, including nine goals in the GLIAC Tournament and five in the championship game to receive MVP honors. On the year, Tunnell has scored 50 points on 42 goals and eight assists, and has also registered 26 ground balls, six draw control wins, and 14 caused turnovers.
 
Kira Dosenberry and Chelsey Bishop are another pair of dangerous Lakers on the offensive side of the ball. Dosenberry has notched 48 points on 35 goals and 13 assists to go with her team-leading 42 ground balls, 37 draw controls, and 24 caused turnovers, while Bishop leads the team with 34 assists and has scored six times to give her 40 points. Bishop has also recorded 14 ground balls, four draw controls, and one caused turnover from the attack position.
 
In addition to an incredibly potent offense, the Lakers also possess a stifling defense that ranks 18th in goals allowed per game (8.53) and tied with three teams for 26th in goals allowed (162), and ranks fifth in Division II in caused turnovers (205).
 
This stingy defense is lead by senior Caitlin Wojichowski. The 2016 GLIAC Defender of the Year and an All-GLIAC First Team honoree, Wojichowski leads the team with 26 caused turnovers and is fourth on the team with 29 ground balls, and has also scored two goals this season. Adrianna Smith, Aimee Hite, and Kelly Leibovitz also headline the Laker back four. Leibovitz has contributed 14 caused turnovers and 39 ground balls, while Smith accumulated 12 caused turnovers and 14 ground balls this season, and Hite has recorded six caused turnovers and 14 ground balls.
 
Brianna DeMilia has transitioned seamlessly into the starting position in goal after Sarah Zwilsky suffered an injury midway through the season. A member of the GLIAC All-Tournament Team, DeMilia has tallied a 6.96 goals against average and a 51.5 save percentage in seven starts and 13 games played this season, and has also recorded 27 ground balls and caused two turnovers in 543 minutes on the field.
 
No. 4 seed Dowling, the East Coast Conference regular season champion, will be standing in GV's way on Friday. 16-3 overall and 8-0 in the ECC, Dowling lost in the ECC Tournament final to LIU Post, dropping them from the third to the fourth seed in their first NCAA Tournament since 2011. Sporting the 17^th-ranked scoring offense in Division II, the Golden Lions have First Team All-ECC attacker Katie Meinecke to power their offense with 82 points on 48 goals and 34 assists and also leads the team with 59 draw controls. Another threat the Lakers must account for is Brooke Kreuscher, another First Team All-ECC selection with 45 goals and 27 assists for 72 points. First Team All-Conference defender Erin Smith leads the Golden Lion defense with 28 caused turnovers while also picking up 36 ground balls and winning 44 draw controls. In goal for Dowling will be Lauren Young, sporting a 7.74 goals against average and a 47.7 save percentage.
 
The two teams have only met once before, in 2013 when Grand Valley State traveled to New York to face the Golden Lions. The Lakers left Long Island with a 20-9 defeat by the Golden Lions.
 
The Lakers and Golden Lions will square off on Friday at 3 pm from Motamed Field, home field of the back-to-back defending Division II National Champion and No. 1 North Region seed Adelphi. The winner of this game will advance to the Quarterfinals, where they will take on No. 1 seed and unanimous #1 Panthers (19-0) on Saturday (May 14) at 3 pm.
 
Links to the live statistical and video broadcasts are included at the top of this page, as well as on the women's lacrosse schedule page.