ALLENDALE, MICH. – The lacrosse season is finally here for the Grand Valley women, as the number five team in the nation kicks off their season this weekend in Florida against Flagler tomorrow night at 5:00 pm. They then close out the weekend with a ranked matchup on Saturday morning at 10:00 am against #10 Rollins.

Flagler: live stats | watch
Rollins: live stats | watch
 
GVSU is coming off their winningest season ever, as they went 19-2, winning the GLIAC regular season and tournament championships and advancing to the Midwest Regional Championship game. The Lakers were picked fifth in the preseason polls for both USA Lacrosse Magazine and the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA). They had five players named Preseason All-Americans by USA Lacrosse Magazine, with Molly Bursinger, Aislynn Alkire, Audrey Maloney, Maggie Hammer, and Shae Strehl earning the honors earlier this month. Also returning are All-GLIAC honorees Kate DeYoung, Maddy Champagne, Karleigh Rothe, and Ashleigh Rothe.
 
Flagler is in their second year as a program, as they were 11-8 in their inaugural season in 2022. They have already played twice this season, starting the year 2-0 with wins over Florida Tech, 18-6, and #16 Embry-Riddle, 16-11. The Saints were ranked #16 by the USA Lacrosse Magazine in their preseason poll but were unranked by the IWLCA. Freshman midfielder Jessica Wright leads the team with seven points over the two games, scoring six goals and dishing out one assist. Goalkeeper Lauren Ribadeneira picked up both wins this season, posting a save percentage of .485, totaling 16 saves this season. The Lakers and Saints have never played each other in program history.
 
In the final game of the weekend in Florida, the Lakers travel to Winter Park, Florida to take on Rollins. The Tars are also 2-0 on the young season, defeating Lenoir-Rhyne 10-9 and Limestone 13-8. They were 13-4 a season ago and were ranked 10^th by both the IWLCA and USA Lacrosse Magazine. Through two games they are led by Caroline Gastonguay, who has 15 points, and Charlotte Gastonguay, with seven points in the two games. This will be the second all-time meeting between these two programs, with Rollins winning the only matchup back in 2017.
 
Both games will be available to follow along with on live stats and live video, follow the links above. For full coverage of both games, including live in-game updates, follow @gvsuwlax on Twitter and visit gvsulakers.com.