ALLENDALE, MICH. – The GVSU women's lacrosse team gets their season underway tomorrow afternoon in Pennsylvania as they take on Mercyhurst. They then travel to Maryland on Sunday for a matchup against Frostburg State.
Mercyhurst: Live Stats |
Video | 4:00
Frostburg St: Live Stats |
Video | 12:00
Ranked fifth in the preseason poll by the IWLCA, the Lakers are coming off arguably their best season in program history. They won both the GLIAC regular season and conference tournament, before winning their first Midwest Regional title and advancing to the Final Four. They return seven All-GLIAC players, five of which were also IWLCA All-Region performers, and one (
Maddy Champagne) who was an IWLCA All-American. Champagne,
Kylie Waeghe,
Aislynn Alkire, and
Hailey Crittenden all were voted USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All-Americans. Champagne and Waeghe were both on the second-team, while Alkire and Crittenden were honorable mention selections.
Last year the Lakers beat Mercyhurst 17-2 in mid-March to kickstart a 13-game winning streak that went through the postseason. In the win, Champagne had a hat trick, with
Kate DeYoung and
Sydney Stone adding two goals apiece.
Sarah Krause got the win in the cage, saving five shots.
Last season Mercyhurst went 9-9 overall, losing in the semifinals of the PSAC Tournament. They return three of their top five scorers from a season ago, led by Whitely Easton's 36 points and Meghan Nasman's 25 goals. They also have their starting goalkeeper back in Paige Maneri who tallied 113 saves and a .438 save percentage. They will be under the leadership of a new coach, as Lindsay Weaver takes over the program.
Closing out opening weekend will be the first ever matchup between GVSU and the Bobcats of Frostburg State. The reigning MEC regular season and tournament champions, Frostburg State went 12-7 last year. The Bobcats have all four of their top scorers from a season ago returning for another year, led by MEC Offensive Player of the Year Neila Haney. Haney had 88 points on 61 goals and 27 assists. Junior goalie Nicole Gray is also back after she posted 119 saves and a .494 save percentage.
How to Follow
Both games will be available to follow along with on live stats and live video. For full coverage of the game, including live in-game updates, follow @gvsuwlax on Twitter and visit gvsulakers.com.
