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ALLENDALE, Mich. – The 25^th fall season of Grand Valley State Soccer begins this weekend as the No. 9 Lakers welcome in two regional opponents. The season opens with the Lindenwood Lions on Thursday (Sept. 2) at 6:00 PM before a Top-25 showdown with the No. 24 Findlay Oilers on Saturday (Sept. 4) at 12:00 PM. The Lakers are defending NCAA Champions from back in 2019 after the 2020 championship season was canceled due to COVID-19.
 
The Jim Conlon era of GVSU Soccer will officially begin with a Thursday Night Under the Lights. The defending champs were selected first in the GLIAC preseason coaches' poll and, despite losing five All-Americans from the 2019 squad, return plenty of firepower and have a nationally-ranked freshman class poised to help the reloaded Lakers (read season preview).
 
This will be the second fall season for Lindenwood as a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) after making the move for the 2019 season. A rapidly-improving side, the Lions went from a sub-.500 season in '19 to an impressive 9-3-3 ledger in the spring 2020 season and were selected fourth in the preseason GLVC poll.
 
A stout defensive club, the Lions allowed just seven goals and pitched four shutouts in the 15 games they played a season ago, allowing multiple goals in just one contest. Sam Blazek was the primary goalkeeper for the Lions in the spring, playing over 1,000 minutes between the pipes and posting a 0.49 goals-against average. Lindenwood also boasts three seniors and a junior on their defensive line.
 
Offensively, Maggie Weller exploded onto the scene last year to lead the Lions with five goals as a freshman. The Lions offense is predicated on ball movement and selflessness with 17 assists tallied on the 15 goals scored for the season. With a solid back line and team-offense approach, Lindenwood will be a big test right out of the gates for the Lakers.
 
"Coaching in St. Louis, I was always aware of Lindenwood and have been extremely impressed with their growth the last few years," Conlon said. "They are a well-coached, stingy group that hangs their hat on hard work. Plus, they have a ton of talent. We will have to be composed and ready to compete at all three lines to get a result on Thursday."
 
Saturday is a matchup of two teams ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Top-25 poll as the Lakers welcome in No. 24 Findlay. After a 10-1-1 spring season, the Oilers have been selected to win the G-MAC in their preseason coaches' poll. The twice-defending G-MAC champs return six athletes who earned all-conference honors including senior Olivia Frank and sophomore Alyssa Stark, who were tabbed the G-MAC Offensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, respectively.
 
The Oilers outscored their opponents 27-5 in the spring, led by Frank's seven goals. Kennedy Slovak made 34 saves as a freshman in the spring and posted a 0.42 goals-against average. After a great spring that culminated in the program's first-ever G-MAC Tournament title and a preseason national ranking, the Oilers are brimming with confidence, and with good reason, heading into the fall opening weekend.

"Findlay can be dangerous on the attack at any moment and can strike quickly from seemingly safe moments," Conlon said. "They have star power at every position and are quick and effective in transition. This will be a match that requires complete focus and attention to detail for 90 minutes and we have to be on our toes at all times."
 
The 25^th fall season of GVSU Soccer is set to kick off with a pair of important in-region contests. Tickets are available now for both games and they will also air live on the Grand Valley Sports Network (www.gvsulakers.com/watch ) while @GVSUSoccer on Twitter will provide links to live stats, video and more as well as provide live updates. @GVSUSoccer on social media and www.gvsulakers.com are your best places to find the latest news, results, video and more on your favorite GVSU Athletics programs.