Box Score
ALLENDALE, Mich. -- For the 11th straight year, the Grand Valley State Lakers women's soccer program has reached the GLIAC Tournament championship match. The Lakers move to 26-0-1 in GLIAC Tournament history after downing the Tiffin Dragons, 8-0, Friday night at the GVSU Soccer Field to punch their ticket to the 2017 finals. Gabriella Mencotti led the way offensively with three goals and a pair of assists. Tara Lierman added two goals and an assist. 

The Lakers (17-3, 9-0 GLIAC) scored four goals in under seven minutes to break things open in the first half. The barrage started in the 23' on a goal from Gianna Parlove, who found a loose ball in front after a Mencotti shot rang off the left post, setting the freshman up for her fifth tally of the season. Lierman then volleyed home her first goal of the match just two minutes later when Tracey McCoy lofted a cross into the center of the box from the right corner. Mencotti notched her first goal in the 27' when Ava Cook rolled a beautiful through ball to play the Novi, Michigan native past the defensive line to set up a strong finish. Mencotti would turn provider again two minutes later (29') when another well-played cross from McCoy set up Mencotti for a good look at goal, but her shot drilled the crossbar and deflected to Cook, who had a wide open look at goal and she took full advantage with her 11th goal of her freshman season. 

"I thought we played really well," said head coach Jeff Hosler. "We weren't as efficient as we'd like early, but generated a pair of dangerous chances and once we scored, we followed that up with consecutive goals and that took the lid off on the way to six for the half."

"It means everything. She has to play well for us to be successful," said Hosler. "She draws a lot of attention and hopefully she can keep it up."

Mencotti took advantage of another through ball in the 34' when Lierman found space between the defenders and Mencotti turned on the jets to break away from everyone for a one-on-one finish. Despite the onslaught of goals, Tiffin (8-10-1, 6-3 GLIAC) goalkeeper Samantha Ortenzi did her best to keep the Dragons in the match with 12 saves. She made a leaping deflection off a Corey Sawall shot barreling towards the top shelf and parried it off the bar, but another Laker bounce put the ball right in the midsection of Kristy Gomez, who walked the ball across the goal line for her fourth goal of the year, to make it 6-0 GVSU at the break.

Mencotti finished off her hat-trick in the 59' when Sara Stevens burned her defender then angled a pass to the top of the box for Mencotti, who spun with two touches past her defender and beat the keeper near post. Lierman capped off the scoring in the 73' after a well-placed shot from Mia Gale was somehow saved by a diving Ortenzi, but the Dragons keeper couldn't corral the rebound and Lierman was quick to the ball to tuck home her 12th goal of the season. 

GVSU out-shot the Dragons 30-3 for the match, including a 20-2 edge in shots on goal. The Lakers were consistent with their opportunities throughout the match, taking 16 shots in the first half compared to 14 in the second. The Lakers took six corner kicks without conceding one to the Dragons. The Lakers will face the winner of the second semifinal match in Allendale, two-seed Ashland and six-seed Saginaw Valley State, in the championship match Sunday at the GVSU Soccer Field at 1:00 PM with Grand Valley State a win away from their eleventh straight GLIAC Tournament Title.