ALLENDALE, Mich. – The No. 2 Grand Valley State Lakers begin the NCAA Tournament Friday (Nov. 22) in the Midwest Region Quarterfinals as the top-seeded Lakers host the 8-seed Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles at the GVSU Soccer Field at 1:00 PM. The Lakers will host the first two rounds of the regional, running through Sunday, November 24.
 
Grand Valley State enters the NCAA Tournament 19-1 and needs one win to secure a 13^th straight 20-win season. The Lakers have rattled off 16 consecutive wins, 14 via shutout, claiming the GLIAC regular season and tournament titles. Earlier this week, seven Lakers were honored as D2CCA All-Region performers, including Riko Sagara as the region's Player of the Year for the second straight season. Sagara, who has 11 assists in her last six matches as well as an 11-match point streak, leads the nation with 21 assists and is second in points with 51. As a team, the Lakers are first in the nation in both scoring offense and defense.
 
"Our focus on taking things one day at a time has been good so far," says head coach Jeff Hosler. "I'm proud of the way we have taken pride in each training session, each match and every step of the preparation process. Now that we've reached the tournament, it's imperative that we keep doing so."
 
The Screaming Eagles are not to be overlooked as the 8-seed in the Midwest Region, winning the GLVC Tournament by sweeping three at-large qualifiers to earn the automatic bid. They topped Indianapolis, 1-0, in the quarterfinals before downing Rockhurst in the semis then won on penalty kicks, 4-3, after a 0-0 draw with McKendree in the championship match. Overall, the Screaming Eagles are 12-6-2.
 
"Southern Indiana is playing their best soccer of the season right now," said Hosler. "They're very well-coached and play extremely hard. They are going to give us everything they have and we expect nothing less than a gritty, hard-fought match."
 
A defensive-minded side, the Screaming Eagles have only allowed 14 goals this season to rank 33^rd in Division II in goals-against average. Offensively, Katlyn Andres has eight of the team's 34 goals along with a team-best five assists to lead the Screaming Eagles with 21 points. Maggie Winter has seven goals this year while 12 others have scored at least once.
 
"This is a side that is built for a tournament style. Keeping things close and giving themselves a chance to win with one or two goals. We'll have to be ready to come out strong and match their intensity to set the tone," Hosler said.
 
The Lakers have reached the Elite 8 in every season under Hosler, but this year's regional bracket presents one of the toughest routes yet. In a one-and-done scenario, facing an intense team brimming with confidence is a tough way to begin the Tournament. The Lakers will look to prove their prowess from the get-go of the tournament when Friday rolls around.