ALLENDALE, Mich. – After two straight weekends flying to different regions, the No. 4 Grand Valley State Lakers return home to begin a three-match week Tuesday (Sept. 24) to host the Illinois-Springfield Prairie Stars  at 7:00 PM in the first-ever matchup between the in-region schools. The match will be streamed on ESPN3 and live stats will be available through GVSULakers.com.
 
The Lakers are now 4-1 after a banner win at No. 13 Columbus State last Saturday (Sept. 21), using a 12' goal to shut out the Cougars, 1-0, for a bounce-back win. Jessica Radice made three saves, including a crucial stop in the closing minutes, to earn Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Defensive Player of the Week honors. GVSU has allowed three goals total on the season, earning three shutouts in their first five matches. Offensively, Cook leads the GLIAC with four goals while Riko Sagara has four assists to lead the conference.
 
The Prairie Stars are 4-1 to start their season and have grown accustomed to close matches. All five have been decided by one goal, falling to Ohio Dominican in the season opener, 2-1, before rattling off four straight wins. They've allowed just one goal in their last three matches and turning some heads with a 3-0 start to the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) season.
 
"Erin is doing a great job with this UIS program and showing tremendous growth," said GVSU head coach Jeff Hosler. "They're off to a fast start and riding confidence up to Allendale."
 
Maggie Juhlin has been the catalyst for the Prairie Star offense, scoring four goals plus an assist on the season. Erin Bolskar has a pair of goals and Lauren Griffin has totaled three assists. Bailey Cross has played every minute between the posts for UIS and has made 20 saves while allowing five goals for a .800 save percentage. UIS has also made a habit of fast starts this season. Six of their eight goals have come in the first half, so GVSU will have to be ready for a fast start from their opponent.
 
The Lakers return home for the third time this season, having won 43 straight home contests. GVSU looks to keep that streak alive and build momentum off their national showdown win last Saturday as conference play comes on the horizon.