MANKATO, Minn. – The No. 2 Grand Valley State Lakers aim for an 11^th straight Midwest Region crown as they face the No. 25 Indianapolis Greyhounds in the regional championship on Friday (Dec. 6) at 11 AM ET (10 AM local) in a neutral-site showdown on the campus of Minnesota State-Mankato. The Lakers are the top seed in the region while the 7-seeded Greyhounds have pulled off two upsets to reach the Sweet 16.
 
The Lakers are 21-1-0 this season, pitching 17 shutouts, and lead the nation in both scoring offense and scoring defense. Led by seven All-Region performers, the Lakers are sitting on 99 goals this season, which matches the total from last year's team that reached the National Championship. The GVSU record for goals in a single season is 104, set back in 2016.
 
Riko Sagara, the Midwest Region Player of the Year, leads the nation with 23 assists and is one away from tying the GVSU all-time single-season record. She finished with 23 a year ago. Ava Cook ranks third in the nation in goals (23) and is just two off the national lead, while Chantel Carranza is fifth with 22.
 
"Our offense picked up in a big way after the first few weeks of the season. The number of different players that have gotten involved and put pressure on opposing defenses have really opened things up for our forwards," said head coach Jeff Hosler. "We need to continue to be creative and collaborative as we face a UIndy team that has one of the best defenses we've played this season."
 
A trip to Mankato, Minnesota isn't new to this Laker squad. They made this trek as part of an incredibly difficult non-conference schedule earlier this season, where they split a pair of matches with nationally-ranked opponents; this field is the site of GVSU's only loss of the year. The Lakers bounced back from that last-minute loss to shut out 13 straight opponents, two shy of the national record, and regained the form of the 2018 team that set a program record for wins in a single season.
 
The Greyhounds are teeming with confidence after rebounding from a GLVC Tournament quarterfinal loss with two shutout wins in the NCAA Tournament. They beat 2-seed Walsh, 1-0, in the opening round before the same result against 3-seed Findlay in the regional semis. Overall, the Greyhounds are 15-4-1 this season and have won eight of their last nine games, allowing just two goals in that span. UIndy ranks 15^th in the nation in goals-against average and have pitched 10 shutouts this season. Taylor Peck leads the way offensively with nine goals and three assists.
 
"UIndy is a great defensive side, but they aren't going to just sit back. They are an aggressive team that will pressure us at every level on the field. We are going to have to be both physically and mentally sharp for 90 minutes," said Hosler
 
The Lakers could have a chance at redemption of their only loss this year if both higher seeds win on Friday. But, first, the focus is Indianapolis and an 11^th consecutive Midwest Region title. GVSULakers.com will provide links to live stats and video coverage while @GVSUSoccer will live-Tweet the contest.