ALLENDALE, Mich. – The No. 3 Grand Valley State Lakers coasted to a 3-0 win in their Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) opener against the Parkside Rangers on a rainy and cold Friday (Oct. 11) night at the GVSU Soccer Field. The Lakers improve to 8-1 overall on the season and begin GLIAC play 1-0 while Parkside drops to 5-6 overall and 0-3 in the league.
Ava Cook led the Laker attack with two goals, scoring in her fifth consecutive match to give her a GLIAC-best 13 on the season.
Caitie Baron had a goal and pair of assists and
Sydney O'Donnell found the back of the net with the game-winner.
Baron sprinted down the right wing and rolled a centering ball towards the back post for O'Donnell in the 10' and Syd redirected into her far side-netting to beat the keeper and give the Lakers the lead with her first goal of the season. Just three minutes later, another centering ball from Baron found Cook, who smashed the ball in to double the advantage. In the 16', Cook would strike again, taking a through ball from
Cecilia Steinwascher, side-stepping the keeper and blasting the ball into the vacant net. That would give GVSU a 3-0 lead at halftime.
The Lakers continued to pepper shots towards frame in the second half, but couldn't break through again until the 88' when
Chelsea Graves found Baron on a diagonal run and set her up for the late dagger. It was Baron's second goal of the season. The Lakers are back in action Sunday (Oct. 13) when they host the Purdue Northwest Pride for Senior Day at 1:00 PM.
