GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The No. 16 Grand Valley State Lakers venture west for a spring break trip to Colorado for three matches beginning Sunday (March 3) in a neutral site showdown with Westminster. They'll also take on No. 21 Colorado Mesa on Tuesday (March 5) and No. 9 Regis on Friday (March 8).
The Lakers have started the season 2-0 using a wire-to-wire win over nationally ranked Lake Erie in the season opener followed by a comeback win over Indiana (Pa.) when they scored the final nine goals of the match.
Abbi O'Neal has eight goals and 11 points across the two games to lead the GVSU attack.
Sarah Stagaard and
Carly Shisler have each contributed five goals while
Skylar Simmers and freshman
Maggie Hammer have each scored three.
The Lakers start their journey on the campus of Colorado Mesa, where they take ont he Westminster Griffins for the first time ever. Westminster has gotten off to a slow start this season, dropping each of their first three matches by double digits. Of the 12 goals scored by the Griffins this season, nine different players have found the back of the cage. Katie Hendershott leads the way with three goals while Madie Ingman has a pair of goals and three assists for a team-best five points.
The nationally-ranked Colorado Mesa Mavericks have won their first two matches, downing Colorado State-Pueblo and Westminster. Olivia Hayden has scored 10 goals and leads the team with 13 points while Marissa Leonardi has scored six goals and Ashton Whittle with four. They are the leaders of 11 different Mavericks to score, including eight with multiple tallies. Like the Lakers, Colorado Mesa is under the direction of a new head coach, with Shanta Loecker taking over this season. This will also be the first-ever meeting between the Lakers and Mavericks.
GVSU wraps up the week with a slightly more familiar foe in the Regis Rangers. The Lakers have won one of the three previous meetings between the two schools, but dropped a 16-15 overtime decision last season. The Rangers would wind up in the NCAA Final Four. Regis has won each of their first three matches of this campaign, including a thrilling 20-19 win over No. 11 Tampa. Sarah Myres (19 goals, seven assists, 26 points) and Wendy Donier (11 goals, one assist, 12 points) have led the offensive charge. Elle Crawford has made 27 saves and boasted a .500 save percentage.
The Lakers look to continue to display their national prowess with a trio of regional matches this week. With a chance to prove themselves against perennial national contenders, the new-look Lakers bring the confidence of two wins to the Centennial State.
