ALLENDALE, Mich. – The top-ranked Grand Valley State Lakers will host the five-seed Ashland Eagles in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament Friday (Nov. 2) at the GVSU Soccer Field. The Lakers have faced the Eagles twice this season, playing to a scoreless draw on the road and earning a 3-0 win at home in conference action.
The Lakers, sitting 18-0-1 overall, won a 14
th consecutive GLIAC regular season title with a 9-0-0 conference mark this season and are seeking a 12
th straight GLIAC Tournament title. Newly named GLIAC Offensive Player of the Year
Riko Sagara leads the nation with 16 assists while first team All-GLIAC selection
Ava Cook leads the league with 14 goals. The offense which sputtered a bit in October, has rebounded to score 11 goals over the last two matches – including a 6-1 win over the Purdue Northwest Pride in the GLIAC Quarterfinals.
The Eagles, who slipped to the five seed, beat Michigan Tech, 1-0, in the quarters Tuesday. Ashland is 10-3-5 on the year, but just 2-2-1 in their last five matches. Makenzie Kelly has scored five goals on the year, second on the team behind Deijah Swihart who is out with a season-ending injury. Nonetheless, the Eagles have a balanced attack with 12 different players finding the score sheet this season, which could pose problems for the Lakers. A solid defensive
"Ashland has been a difficult opponent for us and does a good job eliminating dangerous chances. This match is all about understanding when to get forward versus when to be patient and build up the attack," said GVSU head coach
Jeff Hosler. "I like the way our wide play has evolved in recent weeks, while also seeing the relationship of our attacking mids beginning to blossom."
The Lakers will look to advance to Sunday's championship match as this young team continues to meet new situations and pressures. The experienced and balanced Eagles will challenge the GVSU resurgent offense in what should be a fun matchup to kick off Friday's semifinals.