ALLENDALE, Mich. – The No. 22 Grand Valley State Lakers open their 2018 season Saturday (March 3) against the Kutztown Golden Bears in Pennsylvania at 1:00 PM (LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO). Kutztown is 2-0 to start the season after convincing wins over Holy Family and Jefferson.
 
The Lakers have a veteran squad entering the 2018 campaign, with 13 seniors on the roster. Erika Neumen, a 2016 All-American, returns to the GVSU midfield after missing the entire 2017 season due to injury. She scored 69 goals with five assists in 2016 after a 75-goal, 16-assist season in 2015.
 
The Lakers three top scorers from a season ago also return in 2018, led by Meghan Datema off her team-high 44 goal season a year ago. Fellow senior Meggan Loyd broke out for 27 goals and nine assists in her junior campaign while Abbi O'Neal posted 34 goals in her freshman season.
 
Kutztown has three different players with at least five goals across the first two games of their season. Makayla Bowman has seven of the team's 34 goals this season while both Sarah Gabriele and Madison Carlucci have scored five goals. Gabriele also has five assists to lead the team. Destanee Watkins has scooped a team-high eight ground balls.
 
The Lakers will spend the first week of the season on the east coast, traveling to Sparks, Maryland after Saturday's matchup for a pair of top-25 showdowns at the US Lacrosse Complex. The Lakers face Le Moyne on Tuesday (March 6) and Regis on Saturday (March 10).