ALLENDALE, Mich. – The Grand Valley State women's soccer team is selected to finish first in the GLIAC preseason coaches' poll, as announced by the conference Thursday (Aug. 26). The Lakers, who will be defending their 2019 National Championship this fall, Have won 15 straight GLIAC fall regular season championships and 14 GLIAC Tournament titles in a row, including the spring of 2021.
 
A new era of GVSU Soccer begins this fall as Jim Conlon takes the reigns as the fourth head coach in program history. He follows three-time National Champion Jeff Hosler, who departed over the summer for Michigan State. Conlon joins the Lakers after 12 seasons at Washington University, where he reached the NCAA Tournament in each year and led the program to their first-ever DIII national title in 2016.
 
Two big pieces of the program record-setting scoring team of 2019 are missing with the graduation of unanimous national player of the year Riko Sagara and unanimous first team All-American Ava Cook following Hosler to MSU, but this team still returns plenty of firepower.
 
Chantel Carranza, Caitie Baron, Greta DeLoach, Kennedy Bearden and Darline Radamaker all return after double-digit points in 2019. Including the spring 2021 season, the Lakers have ranked either first or second in the nation in scoring offense each of the last six seasons. Taylor Reid, Alicia White and Mackenzie Jones all gained valuable experience during the Spring 2021 season and will look to carry that momentum into larger roles in their first full season this fall.
 
Defensively, the Lakers return both starting center backs in three-time All-American Cecilia Steinwascher and Central Michigan transfer Abby Willerer along with reigning GLIAC Freshman of the Year Mia Hansen and veteran Makenna Schoolman at outside back. Sarah Smolinski, who has been learning under now-graduated All-American Sydney O'Donnell the last few seasons, is poised to take big steps at left back. Cate Brown, Brooke Russell and Morgan Cochran, along with some exciting freshmen, figure to give the Lakers good depth along the defensive line as well.
 
Joining a nationally-ranked freshman class beaming with talent are a pair of Division I transfers. Madie Knaggs joins GVSU after three seasons with East Carolina where she became an every-game player for the Pirates her junior season and Alexa Morello transferred in from Fordham and was with the Lakers this past spring after playing in 19 games her freshman year with the Rams in 2019.
 
Callie Rich is the lone returning goalkeeper with playing experience, playing in seven matches for her career. Freshmen Alex Jerore, Kendall Robertson and Allison Fredrick will all compete with Rich for minutes between the pipes this season.
 
As the new-look Lakers embark on a national title defense, they will rely on some key veterans blended with talented newcomers to remain a powerhouse in the conference, region and nation. The Lakers new era begins on Thursday, September 2, when they host the Lindenwood Lions at 12:00 PM.