The No. 1 Grand Valley State Lakers aim to stay undefeated as they begin the back half of Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play this weekend, traveling to University Center, Michigan to face Saginaw Valley State on Friday (Oct. 15) at 1 PM before returning home to host Northern Michigan Sunday (Oct. 17) for Alumni Day and the 25^th anniversary celebration with a 12 PM kickoff.
 
The Lakers have played seven of 14 conference games in the fall 2021 schedule and, at the midway point, sit alone atop the conference. They're coming off their most impressive offensive performance of the season, piling up eight goals in a shutout win over Davenport last weekend. GVSU leads the conference in goals scored, goals against, corner kicks and shutouts. They also lead all of Division II in total assists (45) and assists per game, averaging over four per contest.
 
Individually, Greta DeLoach has been on a tear with six goals in her last three games, capped off by a hat-trick in just 18 minutes on the field against the Panthers. She now leads the league with 11 goals and 24 points. Chantel Carranza and Cecilia Steinwascher rank first and second, respectively, in assists in the league while Callie Rich leads all GLIAC goalkeepers in save percentage and goals-against average.
 
"It was great to see the girls put everything together Friday and look so sharp in the attacking third," head coach Jim Conlon said. "We've been focused on learning and getting better every day and it's rewarding to see things come together and click. We have to keep building on that going forward to make the next game our best game every time out."
 
The Cardinals have been a stingy side that's quietly put together a nice season while the Lakers and Ferris State Bulldogs make national noise. Saginaw Valley earned a scoreless draw against Ferris last Sunday to remain unbeaten for a fourth straight match. They are 6-1-2 overall and 3-1-1 in GLIAC play but have a 5-0 lead in a suspended game against Purdue Northwest. They've outscored opponents 17-6, ranking third in the conference in goals-against average.
 
Freshman Stephanie Strong has erupted onto the scene, scoring eight goals and dishing an assist – and those stats do not include the Purdue Northwest game – to lead the Cardinal offense, scoring at least one goal in six of her eight games played. Classmate Reegan Kingpavong has also been active on the attack, scoring twice and dishing three assists while another freshman, Gabby Green, has a team-high four dimes. Senior Amy Babon has contributed four goals and two assists as well.
 
"Saginaw is very organized and purposeful in their attack. They know how to pick out their moments and how to stay within their shape while finding goal scorers. We will need to be aggressive and penetrate to generate offense but value possession because they can take quick advantage of turnovers to create their own offense," Conlon said.
 
When the Wildcats come to town Sunday, it will mark the first repeat opponent of the season. With the new conference format, this is the first time teams play twice as conference contests in the same season. The Lakers earned a 4-0 win in Marquette earlier this year, with DeLoach scoring late in the first half before a dominant second period.
 
The Wildcats have won four of their last five, however, to now sit at 4-3 in the league and 6-5 overall as they head into a tough weekend; hosting No. 9 Ferris State before visiting the top-ranked Lakers. They've outscored their opponents 19-4 during this stretch.
 
Caroline Halonen, who was named the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Year in the spring season, continues to lead the Wildcats in every offensive category. She's scored six goals and dished three assists on the fall campaign. Isabela Cardoso has five goals and a pair of assists for the Wildcat attack as well. In all, seven Wildcats have scored multiple goals on the year. Shenae Kreps has played almost every minute in goal and has made 43 saves with a 1.51 goals-against average. It will also be a family affair Sunday as Calihan Bearden, sister of the Lakers' Kennedy Bearden, is on the Wildcats.
 
"Northern Michigan is physical, relentless and one of the hottest teams in the conference right now. This is a team that reached the GLIAC Tournament championship game in the spring and has proven they can continue to improve as a season progresses. Add in that this is the second time facing them and this makes for a tough matchup. We will have to be ready for their best shot," Conlon said.
 
Sunday will also feature the return of alumni from throughout the history of the program as the Lakers celebrate their 25^th season. Alumni will join the current team at midfield at halftime of the game to honor the tradition and foundation that they laid for the six-time national champions.
 
The Lakers begin the back half of the GLIAC season with two teams near the top of the league. This is an opportunity to prove that the offensive barrage from last week is not a fluke, but the return to offensive prowess for a team that perennially leads the nation in scoring as the post-season begins to come into focus.