ASHLAND, Ohio – The No. 22 Grand Valley State Lakers wrap up their nine-game road swing with two more Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) showdowns this weekend. The Lakers will face a first-year program in the Ashland Eagles on Friday (March 22) at 7:00 PM before a matchup with conference preseason favorite Indianapolis on Sunday at 12 PM.
The Lakers swept their road trip to open GLIAC play last weekend and now sit at 5-2 overall and 2-0 in the league. They never trailed in a 17-4 win over Concordia-St. Paul before running away with a 21-8 victory over Northern Michigan. Four Lakers have scored double-digit goals this season, led by 24 from junior
Abbi O'Neal.
Carly Shisler has stuffed the stat sheet from the midfield so far this season. She's scored 16 goals and 11 assists while also recording a team-high 32 draw controls, 10 caused turnovers and 16 ground balls.
Sophie Conroy has taken on a larger role in her sophomore season, dishing a team-best 12 assists while scoring nine goals thanks to a career-high five against Northern Michigan.
Kelley Fitzgerald has 11 assists on the year as well after four in Sunday's win.
Abigail Dengler is second in the conference in save percentage with a 52.9 clip.
The Ashland Eagles are 2-3 to begin their inaugural season, including a 1-1 start to GLIAC play after a 14-9 win over Maryville last Sunday. Junior Sofia Michael has led the Eagle offense with 24 goals and 26 points this year while also controlling 56 draws. Renee Ruppert has 12 goals and a team-best eight assists. Freshman goalie Corynn Schneider has started all five games and recorded 40 saves with a save percentage of .351.
The Indianapolis Greyhounds are ranked No. 12 for the third straight week in the IWLCA national poll. They are 6-1 on the season with their only loss coming to No. 1 Le Moyne. Since that loss, the Greyhounds have outscored their last four opponents 101-8. Five players have scored in double figures with three eclipsing the 20-mark; Destinie Katz (23), Grace Gunneson (21) and Lauryn Hardoy (20). Katz also has 29 assists on the season for 52 points, the most in the GLIAC this season.
This is the first season in GLIAC history in which the Lakers have not been picked to finish first in the preseason coaches' poll. With this year's favorite on their slate this weekend, the Lakers have a chance to make a statement that the perennial power is strong as ever.
