In a male-dominated sport, the Lakers sought to promote women’s hockey and bring awareness to the program through Promotion Night activities.

“I think it’s really important to bring awareness to women’s hockey in general because not many people play women’s hockey,” said freshman defense Ella Campbell. “If more people learn about it and want to play, it could become a bigger organization as a whole.”

The first few minutes into the period offered back-and-forth play, as the teams fought for possession of the puck. GVSU produced the first odd-man rush eight minutes into the period, forcing Sun Devil goaltender Quinn Eatinger to make a big save. The Sun Devils reciprocated the offensive zone pressure by producing three back-to-back shots on goal for sophomore goaltender Emily Carson to shut down. Then, Sun Devil Kylie Brown had a one-on-one breakaway down the ice with Carson, and placed the first goal on the board.

After the goal, Arizona State continued pressuring the offensive zone, and tested the Lakers’ defense. With a minute left in the period, freshman forward Peyton Wysocki took a shot that deflected off Eatinger, which allowed sophomore forward Faith Kubacik to rebound with a wrist shot in the back of the net. This placed the Lakers on the board. At the end of the first period, the Lakers had five shots on goal, compared to the Sun Devils’ 12. At an even score of 1-1, it was anyone’s game.

Arizona State generated the game’s first penalty just a few seconds into the start of the second period, but the Lakers could not execute with the man advantage. The Sun Devils dominated the Lakers’ defensive zone and put up three shots on goal, but the fourth snuck by Carson and gave the Devils the lead. Immediately after, the Lakers won the face-off at center ice, and stormed down the rink. They attempted a shot on goal, but were unsuccessful. Arizona State had possession of the puck for most of the period, as their defensive line dominated the neutral zone, making it hard for GVSU to get the puck out of the zone and make a shift change. Eager to tie the game, senior forward Abby Rubsam gambled with a lobbed puck from the blue line that somehow found the back of the net. The goal was assisted by junior forward Julia Gebeck, and kept the Lakers in the game.

With three minutes left in the period, the Sun Devils capitalized on another lead, which was scored by Sam Murphy. In retaliation, the Lakers drew a roughing penalty with two minutes of play and Carson made four crucial saves to maintain the one-goal deficit. 

The third period had a total of six penalties from both teams, but the Sun Devils were the only ones to capitalize on the man advantage. On a Laker penalty kill, the Sun Devils took advantage of an extra skater,and buried a goal in the back of the net with just a few seconds left in the power play. Shortly after, the Lakers drew another penalty, which resulted in another Arizona State goal. The Lakers struggled to stay out of the penalty box, which cost them the game.

The Lakers ended the regular season 9-19-2. Team captain and lead goal scorer Abbey McCallion reflected on the team’s positive aspects as they head into post-season play.

“We come together very well in tight situations,” said McCallion.“We’ve had a lot of third-period comebacks recently, and having that energy in the locker room before the game is something we do well.” 

The Lakers begin post-season play on Thursday, Feb. 20 in Livonia for the Central Collegiate Women’s Hockey Association (CCWHA) Conference Tournament at Eddie Edgar Ice Arena.

Waves of orange and blue filled the stands, as both teams’ friends and family members gathered around for the puck drop. The energy in the building was contagious, awaiting the intense local battle, as GVSU and Hope are no strangers to one another. 

With a short recovery period entering Saturday’s game, the Lakers were forced to use their home advantage to secure a win and eliminate penalties. During Friday’s game, the Lakers had six penalties for 12 minutes in the box. Struggling all season with penalty minutes, the Lakers identified the issue in the hopes of learning from it.

“We really stressed that we want to stay out of the box tonight,” said senior defenseman Sam Gorno. “It’s a rivalry, so we let some things get to our head, and it sets us back.”

The Lakers backtracked on their game objective, as they received the first penalty of the night for roughing, only 53 seconds into the game. Vengeful from the previous night, the penalty was just the beginning of a competitive match. Eager to take the lead, junior defenseman Sam Molin banked a shot at 12:04, assisted by senior captain Jack Myers and sophomore forward Noah Foucha. GVSU had possession of the puck for the majority of the time, seeking to eliminate any chances for the Dutch. Keeping up the momentum, the Lakers dominated the offensive zone, allowing junior assistant captain Steve Myers to bury the puck in the back of the net at 9:48, assisted by Molin and freshman forward Jackson Hare. After the second goal, the Lakers laid out defensive hits and focused on the back-check. Both teams had quick releases and scrambled for the puck in the neutral zone with a lot of back-and-forth play. 

GVSU’s sophomore goaltender Bobby Masters made seven saves, with a perfect shot percentage in the first period. The Lakers’ offense produced six shots on goal, two of which placed the Lakers ahead, 2-0 at the end of the first period.

Steve Myers noted that it was a challenge to play back-to-back games, especially against the No. 1 ranked team in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA). 

“Every time we go to Hope, they bring a whole student section, so it is a really tough place to play,” said Steve Myers. “We just didn’t get the right bounces yesterday (in terms of momentum and the puck), but tonight, that was a whole different story. The (crowd) was the most packed I’ve ever seen it and that helped.”

Entering the second period, the Lakers carried over the high intensity from the first period, as their first shot was on goal. Five minutes into the period, both teams received penalties, which generated 4-on-4 hockey, but it didn’t produce a goal on either end. The Lakers’ worst enemy in the period was the penalty box, as the team had three additional penalties, which almost closed the gap. At 3:05, Hope rushed GVSU’s defensive zone. The puck found the back of the net, but it was called off for a high stick tip in the goal. With a lucky break for the Lakers, the Dutch were antsy to close the margin. With only five seconds left in the period, junior forward Braden Nielsen buried the Lakers’ final goal, assisted by Steve Myers. 

Down 3-0, Hope entered the third period hot and heavy by testing GVSU’s defensive zone. Each team traded penalties, but Hope was unable to break down the Lakers’ penalty kill. With puck possession at the last minute of play, the Lakers were rewarded with the crowd’s roar and a victory.

After 60 minutes of play, Hope outshot the Lakers 22-19 but were unable to come out on top, due to GVSU finding the back of the net. However, despite the Lakers’ objective to stay out of the box, the team had seven total penalties to Hope’s six.

GVSU is currently ranked No. 6 in ACHA’s Division III league and continues to climb the rankings. The team focuses on certain game aspects, such as penalty minutes, overall chemistry and holding each other accountable. 

“What we can work on is (that) sometimes we love each other too much, and we’re afraid to hold each other accountable,” said Jack Myers. “We’ve had a couple of games earlier this year that have been shaky, but this past weekend, we were able to pick it up, which I’m not surprised (by considering) the group we have.” 

The GVSU men’s Division III hockey team is more than halfway through the regular season, and boasts a 14-5 record. The Lakers will host Michigan State for their last home game on Feb. 7.

In Friday’s matchup, the Lakers had 11 total penalties for 22 minutes in the box, which allowed the Panthers to score four power-play goals. Struggling all season with penalty minutes, the Lakers were forced to step back and address the issue, as their time in the box has cost the team wins. 

“Guys (the team’s players) are starting to take accountability, and (are) starting to play a little bit smarter after whistles,” said the Lakers’ junior forward, Tristan Avoletta. 

During Saturday’s match, both teams’ friends and family members gathered at Griff’s Georgetown Ice Arena. The freshly laid ice awaited the vengeful Lakers, who sought to reclaim a win against the Panthers. 

GVSU won the first face-off at center ice, and laid the first two shots on goal. The teams delivered huge hits into the boards, firing up both benches, which were hooting and hollering. With an aggressive start, junior captain Carson Wood put the Lakers on the board at 17:05, which was assisted by freshman forward Yarne Vaerewyck and freshman defenseman Scott Neitzel. Continuing to trade hits, both teams received penalties at the 14-minute mark for cross-checking (GVSU) and interference (DU). In the last 30 seconds of the first period, junior goaltender Adrian Morales made two back-to-back saves that, entering the second period, kept the Lakers in the lead.

Despite the Lakers starting the game strong, they trailed the Panthers in on-goal shots, 10-12. Compared to the previous night, the Lakers had a secret weapon for this game: the return of junior defenseman Enzo Tarducci. Tarducci took a year away from hockey, and recently transferred back to GVSU.

“(It) took a minute and a couple of practices to get my legs back (in shape), but I felt pretty good out there,” said Tarducci. “Obviously, (I am) playing shorter shifts for right now so I can work my way in, but hopefully I can just be something for the team.” 

With a healthy pair of legs, Tarducci contributed to the Lakers’ aggression and laid-out hits.  

The Lakers entered the second period hot and heavy. At 17:03, Vaerewyck dished out a goal, which was assisted by senior captain Josh Suzio and freshman defenseman Brady Balagna. Following the goal, each team traded penalties and generated 4-on-4 hockey. The Panthers took advantage of the Lakers’ penalties to put themselves on the board, and made a power-play goal at 10:59. In response, the Lakers charged down the ice and owned the offensive zone, as sophomore forward Chase Tallaire buried the puck in the back of the net. Still fighting back, the Panthers scored with two minutes of play left in the second period. Morales made two back-to-back saves, but it wasn’t enough to clinch the Lakers two-goal lead. 

Eager to maintain the lead, the Lakers played strategically, while the Panthers aggressively fought for possession of the puck. The first eight minutes of play consisted of back-and-forth movement down the ice from both teams. At 9:59, senior forward Carson Korte secured the final insurance goal for the Lakers, which was assisted by junior forward Kyle VanCompernolle and Suzio. In retaliation, the Panthers started a 10-man brawl on the ice when a Panther hit Morales for goaltender interference. The Panthers received two penalties for goaltender interference and a major, five-minute penalty for cross-checking and game misconduct. Despite the man advantage, the Panthers persisted in their offensive line and created an odd-man rush on Morales, who made a diving save to shut the Panthers down for good. 

Despite having eight penalties to Davenports’ six, GVSU outshot Davenport, 34-30. Since going into 2025, the Lakers are 3-1, and continue to compete at the highest level of play. The team has also improved on certain aspects of their game, such as penalty minutes, overall chemistry and improving their offensive line. 

“Our offense is finally starting to click,” Suzio said. “We got guys who were cold (in terms of playing and producing), who are getting hot at a great time. Our main focus as a team is the offense and pushing (the momentum) forward, playing offensive first and defense second.” 

The GVSU men’s hockey team is more than halfway through the regular season, and boast a 15-6 record. The Lakers’ next matchup is against Purdue University Northwest on Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. in Crown Point, Indiana. 

Going into the doubleheader, the Lakers were fourth in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Great Lakes Six Conference, with an 8-4 record. However, the Lakers were on a two-game losing streak to local rivals Calvin (1-4) and Davenport (1-7). Undergoing the tough losses, the team also had five injuries within the two games– one being junior captain Carson Wood. With multiple injuries and half the season gone, the Lakers were luckily granted a bye week, due to facility issues at Ohio University. The time off gave the Lakers the ability to heal their injuries and regroup after their losses.

Coming off the losing streak and the bye week, third-year head coach Matthew Sekosan expressed that team members have been having conversations regarding positioning and strengths.

“We are on this teetering point of either going toward our successful route or going in the route no team wants to go,” said Sekosan. “The games where we’ve been the most successful (are) when we’re the loosest and having the most fun as a group.” 

Starting off Friday’s game, senior forward and captain Josh Suzio earned the first and only goal in the first period, which was assisted by freshman defender Carson Redd.

The momentum in the second period heightened, as each team dished out three goals, leaving the second period to the Lakers, 4-3. Freshman forward Ethan Hellman led the team with two goals in this period.

In the third period, the Stallions responded to the Lakers’ ease by tying the game. If the score is tied at the end of regulation, the teams go into overtime, where three players from both teams play an additional five minutes. The first team to score secures the win concludes the game, but the teams go into a shootout if there is no score at the end of the five minutes. After a scoreless overtime, the Lakers and Stallions put their goaltender to the test in a shootout. Sophomore forward Chase Tallaire made the game-winning, shootout goal, and freshman goalie Taylor White made crucial saves for a Laker win. 

Less than 24 hours later, the Lakers returned to Griff’s Georgetown Ice Arena to challenge the Stallions on their home ice. A sea of blue and white invaded the stands, and outnumbered Stallion fans. Friends and family members patiently waited for the Lakers to stride onto the ice so they could cheer the team on. After the last note in the national anthem, the teams’ benches were hollering in anticipation of the puck drop. At center ice, one Laker and Stallion center forward surrounded the referee to win the face-off and have first possession of the puck. The referee dropped the puck and the Stallions won the draw, beginning an aggressive first period. 

The Stallions came out intensely, eager to put the first goal on the board. Both teams planted massive hits against the boards, setting an aggressive tone. Each team generated a power play within 10 minutes of gameplay with no results on the board. With seven minutes left in the period, Suzio charged down the middle of the ice, passing the puck to senior forward Carson Korte on the right side of the ice, who set up Hellman to sneak in the puck from behind the net. With five seconds left in the period, Western snuck one past White, tying the game 1-1. GVSU outshot Western 20-7, but at this point, it was still anyone’s game. 

Entering the second period, each team was determined to take the lead. GVSU generated two shots on goal within the first five minutes of play, and had the majority of puck possession. At 13:23, Suzio dished a pass from the left side of the ice to Korte, who was in the middle, and backhanded the puck in the top of the net. This led the Lakers to a 2-1 lead. Ending the period, Western received two back-to-back penalties that would continue into the third period. GVSU outshot Western again, 17-4, and Western received four penalties, while GVSU only had one. 

As the Stallions trailed by one, they progressively played dirtier in the second and third periods. Receiving multiple hits against the boards ignited something in the Lakers. GVSU had two shots on goal within the first 2 minutes of play, and had total possession for all of the first seven minutes. Tiring out the Stallions’ defense, GVSU took advantage, and went on a hot streak. Tallaire produced two goals in under two minutes. Junior forward Tristan Avoletta scored at 11:56, and was assisted by sophomore defenseman Clayton Senti and sophomore forward Noah Foucha. Vaerewyck also earned a goal, which was assisted by Redd. Lastly, Hellman generated two more goals, ending with a hat trick.

This is the Hellman brothers’ first year playing with GVSU. Kamryn Hellman noted that he finds it special that the team feels like a family.

“Here, we are a family (and) we are all working towards one goal (together),” said Hellman. “In the past, (my teams have) been more individualistic, so it’s kind of nice to be on a team where everyone’s working together with the same goal.”

The family dynamic radiated throughout the whole rink, from the fans on the bench to the ice. GVSU dominated the third period, and concluded the game 8-1. Overall, GVSU totaled 58 shots on goal, 8 penalties and 8 goals. The Stallions concluded with 14 shots on goal, 11 penalties and 1 goal. 

Sweeping the Stallions on the road and at home, Wood emphasized that these games are crucial for the team’s momentum going forward in such a competitive ACHA league. 

“We’ve gone through some adversity in the past three (or) four games, so being able to bounce back is big,” said Wood. “Anybody can beat anyone in this league on any night, so it’s important to be able to bring your A-game every single night, every practice and every single day.” 

The GVSU Division I men’s hockey club will enjoy Thanksgiving break and return to play on December 6 for the GRSHOF tournament.

Gallery • 20 Photos

Grand Valley State University offers 38 club sports for women’s, men’s and coed teams. Men’s club ice hockey is currently the only club sport that has both a Division I and Division III team of the same sex. The unique situation led Club Sports to force two teams to share a singular budget. 

The presence of two hockey teams under the GVSU club sports umbrella has led to questions about how the budget is and will be allocated between the two teams in regards to spending, fundraising and donations. Before 2020, the two teams had separate budgets. When the teams began playing after some COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, the budgets were combined. Mike Przydzial, acting director of Recreation & Wellness said one of the major reasons the budget was combined was “to level the playing field” in regards to how much money each club sport received from the Club Sports Department. He said GVSU has “no other club sports, same gendered, that existed as two separate organizations” like the men’s hockey organization.

“So when you look at things from an equity lens we had the men’s ice hockey program, basically receiving double the resources (from club sports) as the women were,” Przydzial said. “Ultimately (by combining the budgets) we were getting them to a level playing field, to align with every other club sport we have.” 

While GVSU Club Sports helps fund club sports to a certain extent, the majority of the budget is funded through club members’ dues, fundraising and ticket sales from the games. Since the whole budget is shared between the DI and DIII teams, where the money comes from and how it is spent can be a point of contention for the players of both teams.

Currently, both teams play at Griff’s Georgetown ice rink located in Hudsonville, Michigan. Shared budgets help the teams pay for time on the ice and lease locker rooms within the facility for the duration of the season. Additional expenses include gear, travel expenses and tournament fees. 

DIII hockey players said they started noticing greater disparities in the shared budget during the 2021/2022 school year. The Division I team upgraded the leased locker room facilities in Griff’s Georgetown, and the money for the renovation came out of this shared budget. 

“We paid for half of the upgrades technically and not many of the Division III guys have even stepped a foot in (the Division I locker rooms) since the upgrade,” said Jack Myers, a senior captain of the Division III team. 

The recently renovated Division I team’s locker room cannot be used by the DIII team. Since the teams practice at similar times and the DI teams leave items in the locker room, there are not enough lockers to accommodate two teams. The Division III locker rooms have yet to see any upgrades.

Myer said the current Division III locker room used to be a storage closet, which poses its own problems.

“There’s not enough stalls to fit everybody so there’s chairs in the middle, we call it the island. It’s super packed there. No bathrooms, no showers,” Myers said.

To help better accommodate the DIII team, Myers said Griff’s helps provide the Division III team with a temporary locker room when they play home games, rather than let them use the leased Division III locker room.

Although the discrepancies in locker room space are not managed by the Club Sports Department, Przydzial said he hopes the teams can internally manage the funds to “refresh that Division III space.”

“I do think that I would continue to encourage them to look at ways on earmark dollars or setting aside a specific dollar amount to where ultimately they can get to a point of having upgraded locker space and equipment in there to make it an area of pride for the Division III program,” Przydzial said.

In April 2023, Myers and alternate captain John Livingston met with both Anna Tollefson, the assistant director of Recreation & Wellness and Andrew Rolls, the Club Sports coordinator.

Myers and Livingston pushed for the shared budget to be separated and hoped to address some of their growing concerns about the shared budget.

“Basically we wanted to kind of separate the two budgets because they are two completely different teams,” Livingston said. 

Aside from the frustrations over the locker rooms, the Division III players want to push for separate budgets because of how fundraising fits into the budget. Since a large portion of the shared budget is made up of fundraising, the players want the money they raise to go to their own team.  

Additionally, concerns about where funds will be directed can lead family and friends of players to be hesitant about donating. 

“We have a lot of parents, and even alumni,  that want to make contributions to the DIII team but they are a little hesitant doing so, just because they don’t know if that money is only going to DIII or if some of it is going to DI as well,” said Livingston.

Tollefson said monetary donations can be directed specifically to one team under the men’s club hockey team umbrella. Tollefson said while the two teams do share a budget, she still encourages family and friends of players to donate. She said donors should communicate what team they want their donation to benefit. This specification allows the money to go to the team’s “gift account.”

“(Donations are) easily tracked between the teams, and donors are allowed to make a directed donation. That just has to be outlined with their donation and communicated,”  Tollefson said.

Livingston said being a part of the DIII hockey team at GVSU has been a constructive part of his time in college. He said this is one of the reasons why he feels so strongly about pushing for change in the GVSU Club Sports culture.

“Personally, I would love to establish a separate budget from DI, but it has been a very challenging task to do so since club sports has been unsupportive with that possibility,” Livingston said. 

However, Club Sports said the decision to re-separate the hockey teams’ budgets officially would be a decision made at a higher administrative level in the department. Club Sports currently wants to act as a guide for the shared budget and encourage the students and coaches of the two hockey teams to create more transparency about where funds come from and how they are spent.

“We have talked to both their coaches, and the biggest thing that we preach is that it’s really about a lack of communication than anything else,” Tollefson said. “Students need to just know and have a better understanding in general of the entire budget and how things work financially for them.” 

Since Club Sports does not oversee every detail of the team’s budgets or how funds are allocated, they say budget decisions are up to the players on the Eboard and coaches. Despite not being able to separate the budgets, Club Sports said can support the teams throughout the process. 

“There are ways to (create separation in the budgets) internally, through one organization,” Przydzial said. “Club sports is for students, and we will continue to remind students of that organization and around the entire program. We want those students to be involved, we will listen to their voice, we are here to work with them.”

Overall, Club Sports said they hope Division I and Division III teams would be able to come together and mutually agree on a way to make the shared budget work and they would offer any assistance they can to help support the teams.

“We want them to succeed,” Przydzial said. “If there are issues perpetuating by all means we want to help navigate them through them.” 

GVSU entered the GLCHL playoffs with a matchup versus the Davenport University Panthers at Griff’s Georgetown Ice Arena, having just beaten No. 2 ranked Adrian College on Feb. 9. With a lot of confidence coming into the game, the Lakers struggled early and attempted to come back from a 2-0 deficit, losing 2-1.

“We’ve won the GLCHL before and being the best in our conference would be a sweet title, especially going into nationals,” said senior Nick Sommerfield. “Having that confidence and swagger going in there (we felt) that we can beat these top teams and compete at the highest level.” 

In the first period, both sides had solid opportunities in the opposing zones but weren’t able to generate points.

GVSU had a 2-on-1 break that seemed destined for a score until Panthers goaltender Kyler Lowden made a great save to turn away the Lakers.

Lowden was busy working through traffic in the first period as there were several massive collisions in front of Davenport’s net. One hit led to

Lowden getting knocked over and another hit caused minor penalties that were assessed to a player on each team.

During the shorthanded play, the puck hardly left Davenport’s zone, making it a near-power play for GVSU. The Lakers got multiple chances to bury the first goal of the game but still were left empty-handed at the end of the period. With a 0-0 score entering the first intermission, both teams hit the locker room to adjust.

Coming out of the second period, GVSU was able to generate some shots on goal after forcing turnovers in Davenport’s end but still were unable to put the puck in the back of the net. 

The first goal of the game was finally scored after four minutes had gone by in the second period. Panthers forward Brendan Bauler was able to knock it in after a fight for the puck on the boards led to a shot.

GVSU has struggled for much of this season with allowing the first goal and found themselves in the same scenario yet again, this time down 1-0 going into the third period.

For much of the third, the Lakers also struggled to score, getting more offensive pressure than in the first and second periods, but failing to convert on any shots.

“We came out in the third and I thought we were better than the first two periods but still just couldn’t formulate as a group in terms of offensive opportunities,” said GVSU head coach Matthew Sekosan. “I’d say our effort trying to do the right things was correct, we just couldn’t put it together as a five-man unit.” 

The first goal of the third period came late in the session from Davenport with a little over six minutes remaining in the game. The score was now 2-0 and time was working against the Lakers.

GVSU did seem to get a bit of momentum after killing a slashing penalty just minutes after Davenport extended the lead to two. With the clock winding down, GVSU decided to pull their goalie to try and get a spark from an extra skater.

GVSU captain and forward, Zach Borchardt, scored with roughly 20 seconds to go. An opportunity opened up for the Lakers. With just seconds remaining, GVSU was able to generate another

scoring opportunity to tie the game, but the shot just missed and hit the side of the net. 

GVSU fell in the quarterfinals to Davenport with a 2-1 final. 

“An emotional game for our seniors,” said Sekosan. “Their last home game is a bitter taste in terms of going out with a 2-1 loss.”

However, Sekosan recognizes the Lakers’ season is likely not over. 

“We live to fight another day,” said Sekosan. “Our efforts throughout the regular season have put us in a position to compete for a national championship.” 

The American Collegiate Hockey Association National Championship Tournament begins on Thursday, March 7 in St. Louis, Missouri. The Lakers await the results of conference tournament action to find out who they will be playing.

Before the Feb. 8 game, the Bulldogs were announced as the Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League (GLCHL) Regular Season Champions with a record of 23-3-0. The Lakers, who shot up in the national rankings in the latter portion of the season, were tasked with playing in enemy territory against one of the best teams in the country.

After a tripping penalty at center ice, Adrian was given a man advantage with 11:50 to go in the first. GVSU struggled to kill the penalty as the puck never left the zone, leading to the first points of the game. After four good scoring chances, the Bulldogs’ David Dell was able to bury a power play goal. 

There was only one goal in the opening period– making the score 1-0 at the first intermission. 

Just three minutes into the second period, the Bulldogs’ Nash Hatcher made a silky smooth move to beat the GVSU defense and then backhanded it into the net. Hatcher’s incredible goal put the Lakers down 2-0, a deficit they were unable to surmount.

“I think our start was poor,” said GVSU head coach Matthew Sekosan. “We seemed like we were deer in the headlights.”

After the sluggish start, GVSU stole the puck in Bulldogs territory. After their first shot went behind the net, Lakers’ defenseman Bryan Clahassey was in a perfect spot to beat the Bulldogs’ goalie on the rebound. 

GVSU put the game right back in reach at 2-1. 

However, just two minutes later Adrian was able to extend the lead right back to two goals. After some solid pressure, they were able to score their own goal off of a favorable bounce. 

The third period didn’t contain any penalties, nor any goals, and the Lakers fell to the Bulldogs 3-1.

With another shot at the number two team in the nation the very next night, GVSU opened the game honoring nine seniors: Bryan Clahassey, Devin Naidow, Nick Sommerfield, Sam Lechel, Gage Thrall, Eric Holford, Josh Suzio, Josh Kego and Aidan Mcaleer.

Sommerfield admired the development of his team throughout the course of the season and his time at GVSU.

“It’s meant a lot seeing us grow,” Sommerfield said. “Beating teams we used to lose to and now actually being a household name in the national standings, it’s been really cool.”

The stagnant action in the first period of Friday’s game consisted of just one cross-checking penalty and no goals. It turned out to be the only penalty of the entire game, just a week after the Lakers’ matchup with Toledo University hovered near double-digits in total penalties.

Much of the second period was also rather uneventful until GVSU’s Jackson Collard was able to bury the first goal of the game just five minutes before the final intermission. 

Then just two minutes later, Adrian didn’t waste any time answering with a goal of their own. It was a tie game going into the third period of the final regular season game.

After both teams struggled to score early in the period yet again, a Lakers senior stepped up and made a game-changing play. 

With four minutes left in the game, Sommerfield buried the game-winning goal, giving his No. 15 ranked Lakers an enormous end-of-season win over the No. 2 ranked Bulldogs.

GVSU would officially put the game away with the help of an empty net goal scored by Chase Tallaire shortly thereafter. The final buzzer sounded to the tune of a 3-1 upset win on Senior Night.

The victory had Sommerfield reminiscing about what he will miss when the season ultimately comes to an end.

“Seeing the boys everyday,” said Sommerfield. “Knowing at the end of the night you’ll be hanging out with them and skating and having fun.”

GVSU and Sommerfield will now play in the GLCHL Playoffs Quarterfinal, which begins at home on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. The Lakers moved to 20-7-2 to finish the regular season.

In a home game at Griff’s Georgetown Ice Arena on Friday, Feb. 2, GVSU came out very aggressive and it paid off. Early on, the Lakers got a ton of great scoring opportunities and kept the puck on the Rockets’ end of the ice for much of the game.

GVSU scored two quick goals in the first 10 minutes of the first period, one from forward Carson Wood and another shortly after by forward Nick Sommerfield.

With about three minutes to go in the first, Toledo had a chance to get back in the game with a power play. GVSU was whistled for a high stick, the first penalty of the game on both sides, and the Lakers killed it with ease.

Shortly thereafter, GVSU captain Zach Borchardt was set up by Carson Korte for a missile of a one timer, making it three unanswered goals in the first period.

Lakers junior forward Braeden Fouchea emphasized the importance of scoring early in games, which has not been easy for the Lakers.

“We’ve had a tough time this year getting off to good starts,” Fouchea said. “A lot of games we didn’t get the first goal and we have to come back. (It) felt really good to get a good start.”

After a relatively clean third period with just one penalty against GVSU, things got really chippy in the second period. Several violent collisions led to eight combined penalties between the two teams. Between a couple GVSU slashing penalties and a Laker throwing an opponent’s stick, Toledo had plenty of opportunities to get back in the game, but failed to score on any of their four power play advantages.

As the second period progressed, Toledo was able to find multiple high quality scoring chances on the Lakers’ goaltender, Devin Naidow. To no avail, Naidow stopped every opportunity for the Rockets, including an open-ice breakaway. Then with just under 12 minutes left in the second period, GVSU forward and captain Shane Haggerty buried another goal, making it 4-0. The Lakers were dominating before heading into the second intermission.

After a slow start, Toledo came out and looked like an entirely different team in the third period, finishing on multiple scoring opportunities and owning the time of possession.

Toledo was finally able to get on the board with just under 15 minutes left to make it a 4-1 game, when just seven minutes later, they punched in another one. The score was now 4-2 with eight minutes to play in the game. The momentum had swung in the opposite direction and then four minutes later, the Rockets buried another goal to make it a one-score game.

GVSU then was helped by a power play with two minutes left, which helped to stave off the comeback and seal the dicey 4-3 win. 

“We got the ‘W’ and we’re happy with that,” said Fouchea.

The second game of the matchups with the Rockets was a night game in Toledo, Ohio. There the Lakers found themselves playing from behind early, something Fouchea had mentioned was an issue for the team in other games.

Toledo carried over their strong finish to the previous night’s matchup, now on their home ice. Just two minutes into the game, GVSU was whistled for a penalty. Toledo, who struggled to score on the power play the night before, capitalized on their first opportunity, making the score 1-0. However, GVSU remained aggressive and after some solid pressure they were able to get a goal of their own on a deflection to tie it up at 1-1.

GVSU defensive pressure remained a common factor the rest of the period leading to another goal off of a turnover, this time by forward Gage Thrall.

After taking a 2-1 lead to close out the first period, GVSU extended it to 3-1 after a goal by Haggerty just three minutes into the second.

Still, Toledo was able to answer GVSU’s three straight goals to make it a 3-2 game.

As displayed by the several penalties in both matchups, tempers flared on both sides. In fact, one collision was so hard that it even shattered the glass, causing the game to be delayed to make repairs.

After the delay, the scoring stalled out until about nine minutes to go in the third period. Toledo tied the game at 3-3, ultimately sending it to overtime. After just two minutes of overtime, Sommerfield stole the puck in the Lakers’ own end and got a breakaway opportunity. He beat the Rockets’ goaltender between the legs for the win. 

The Lakers’ head coach Matthew Sekosan was excited about the crucial win for better potential postseason seeding.

“We earned two league points with the OT win,” Sekosan said. “That helps us in pursuit of moving up the league standings.”

GVSU moves to 19-6-2 on the season and will play one of two games against Adrian College, first at home on Friday at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, Feb. 8, they will travel to Adrian, Michigam for their final game of the regular season at 7:30 p.m. the following day– the team’s Senior Night.

The team this year is led by captains Shane Haggerty, Gage Thrall and Zach Borchardt. The schedule is lengthy but according to the captains, the team is confident. Currently sitting on a 9-7 record, almost exactly halfway through the season, they seem to be taking the season one game at a time. 

“We have weekly goals of getting better each week and for each upcoming game,” Thrall said. 

To prepare the team for each game, the captains not only lead on the ice, but they also make an effort to lead by example by encouraging their peers off the ice as well. 

“I feel like this (leading by example) helps everyone else step up their game when it comes to the hard work they put in on the ice and to try and better themselves each and every practice,” Thrall said.

To all three captains, collaboration for them and the team is a must. 

“We have a lot of different leaders on the team and guys will speak up when they need to,” Haggerty said. 

Open communication is important to the team because it allows for a better playing environment and helps the team strengthen the bonds between players. For many of the people on the team, ice hockey has been an integral part of their lives from a young age. Players like this have had a lot of time to perfect their communication on and off the ice. 

Both Haggerty and Thrall have been playing hockey since they were three years old and did not want to lose the sport they loved with the transition into college. Thrall, who had his sights set on GVSU, reached out to the coach about an opportunity to try out. Haggerty, who played for the Metro Jets Hockey Club before coming to GVSU, came here to take advantage of the club hockey team and open doors for more educational opportunities.

Prospective players can either go through the formal recruitment process with the coaches or attend tryouts in the first couple weeks of the fall semester. It is important that players understand what they are signing themselves up for because the intense schedule can make it difficult to balance the time commitment of both school and practice.

Being able to handle the college curriculum, practice five nights a week, the team’s travel schedule and personal lives can be a challenge. Thrall said for him a typical day as a student athlete includes early classes downtown, work, other student organizations and homework.

Thrall then heads to the rink at 8 p.m. for the team’s practices. He is not the only one on the team with a packed schedule and it is typical of players on the team. 

During daily life, the team invests a lot of time working together at the rink and putting in effort to improve on the ice. Off the ice, many of the teammates live together and spend time outside of designated practice time hanging out or studying. One of Thrall’s favorite memories was from the team’s trip to Boston, Massachusetts for a tournament last season. 

“The bus ride was close to 20 hours- if not more. When we were about an hour out from the hotel, we hit a massive snowstorm that delayed our arrival by an extra two hours. I remember each time I checked Apple Maps, the time to the hotel kept growing,” Thrall said. “The guys on the team really got to hang out and have fun during this time (on the bus).” 

Although the team lost in the quarterfinals, they put in their best effort and had the opportunity to bond as a team, setting them up for even more success for their current 2023 season. This deep bond between players contributes to the team’s culture and atmosphere, which feeds back into the program and the players’ relationships.

“The guys really try to incorporate everyone and make sure everyone feels welcome in the program and that no one is left out,” Thrall said. “I believe that since we are such a close team, it relates to the play that we have and the success we have as a program as well.” 

The GVSU D1 men’s hockey team next matchup will be back-to-back games against Western Michigan University on Dec. 1 and 2. The remainder team’s competition schedule can be found on the GVSU club sports website.

Grand Valley State University’s football program welcomed their eighth head coach in program history, Scott Wooster, during an introductory press conference this past week.

Wooster served as the offensive line/tight end coach and offensive coordinator for the Lakers over three seasons prior to his promotion to head coach as he stated enthusiasm to continue the success the team has achieved in recent seasons.

“Obviously the biggest part of it was the opportunity to grow, build and serve these guys that were right out here (at this press conference) – it’s just such a special group,” Wooster said. “To be able to be the leader of this group of men, that was the most exciting part going through this week and the most honoring part.”

To continue the recap of Wooster’s hiring from Sports Editor Anthony Clark Jr., click here.

Men’s DI hockey club ices Davenport, extends win streak to seven

The Grand Valley State University’s Division I men’s hockey club continued their seven-game winning streak against Davenport University this past weekend after two blowout matches that finished 5-1 and 11-1.

Now ranked No. 10 in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Men’s 1 division with a record of 22-5 (25-5 overall), Head Coach Matt Sekosan had a lot to say about his upperclassman setting the pace for the winning streak.

“We have a strong class of upperclassmen,” Sekosan said. “They sort of lead the way in terms of self-policing and getting everybody on task; the guys listen to the system that we implement, and do the best they can to play.”

To see the rest of Breanna Hammer’s recap of hockey victory, click here.

Strutz headlines Bill Clinger Classic with new record for indoor track and field

The Grand Valley State University’s men’s and women’s track and field teams hosted the Bill Clinger Classic last weekend. The Lakers performed at a high level, marking personal and program records.

One of the highlights from this meet was junior Lindsey Strutz’s performance, setting program record for the women’s pentathlon with a score of 3615 – a record that also ranked Strutz No. 12 in the nation for the event.

“It feels absolutely amazing to break my old school record by so much,” Strutz said.

To read Madeleine Smith’s full story of the historical performance by Strutz, click here.

Women’s lacrosse above .500 after first GLIAC victory

Grand Valley State University women’s lacrosse made the trip to Minnesota to battle Concordia St. Paul last week, winning 17-10 and adding the fifth win to the Lakers’ record just past the halfway point of the regular season (5-4).

With this being the first test in conference action, Head Coach Mackenzie Lawler said she told her players to come out with intensity from the start in order to walk away with a win.

“It’s our first conference game; I think that this game sets the tone for (more) conference play coming up,” Lawler said. “We have two other conference games this week and I think it would be great to get a win to start strong but also know that those other games are going to be competitive and those teams have gotten a lot better over the years.”

To finish reading Zoe Murphy’s coverage of the women’s lax match, click here.

Swim and dive secure GLIAC Championship titles

Grand Valley State University swim and dive secured the GLIAC Championship titles after four-straight days of competing.

With the wins, the women’s team has won its second conference title in the last three seasons (2020-21 champions) with a total score of 969.5 points. The men’s team continued its dominance in the GLIAC as it has now won nine consecutive championships after scoring 942 points, winning by nearly 400 points above second-place Northern Michigan.

Individually, both teams saw several Lakers crowned as conference champions in their events as many of them set GVSU and GLIAC conference meet records over the four-day period (Feb. 15-18).

To find the whole story written by Brian Bloom, click here.

Men’s golf wraps up fall season with another team title win

In their fourth first-place finish in the fall season, the Grand Valley State University men’s golf closed out a successful fall season with a win at the Motor City Invitational.

The Lakers found themselves in a tight match after day one, holding only a six-stroke lead over Tiffin University, with Wayne State and Ferris State not far behind. GVSU shot a 296 on day one, eight strokes above par.

Sophomore Charles DeLong led the Lakers on the individual leaderboards once more after 18 holes as he sat in second place (71, -2). Sophomore Nick Krueger (fifth) and freshman Charlie Cooley (tied-sixth) were as influential in the first round as they held a score of 73 and 74 respectively.

Being one stroke behind the first place leader after round one (Hurtubise; Wayne State), DeLong was familiar with this type of situation and used his versatility to take charge.

To read the fall season recap by Jason Millis, click here.

Emily Spitzley talks hoops, milestones and team culture for women’s basketball

Westphalia, MI is a small village roughly 55 miles east of Grand Rapids with a population of about 1,000 residents. Those who didn’t grow up in the community may not think anything more of it besides a farmers’ town. For fifth-year guard Emily Spitzley, it’s the place where the game of basketball all started.

Grand Valley State University women’s basketball would eventually be the landing spot for Spitzley after high school. Like many true freshmen joining a team, Spitzley didn’t see a lot of action on the court as she adjusted to her new environment.

Averaging just 4.8 minutes of playing time in her 24 games played in the 2018-19 season, Spitzley figured the best solution of gaining respect from her peers and herself most importantly would be to put her head down and grind.

“I came in like a nervous little kid not stepping on anybody’s toes, kind of stay in your own lane (and) do your thing,” Spitzley said. “Over the last five years, I’ve been able to find that confidence, find that voice for myself overall. And that kind of comes with getting better overall as a basketball player.”

To view Clark Jr.’s whole conversation with Spitzley, click here.

GV tennis programs compete in ITA Regional Championships

Grand Valley State University’s tennis teams participated in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) DII Midwest Regional Championships over the course of the past two weeks (Sept. 17-26), as the men’s team traveled to Indiana and the women’s hosted their tournament at home.

The women’s team experienced a significant delay in their tournament due to inclement weather and were ultimately forced to play indoors instead of outdoors as the tournament is typically played.

In the Draw A women’s doubles bracket, sophomore Estefania Hernandez and freshman Rachel Sam paired up as senior Taylor Barrett and junior Vasileia Griva partnered to face off against opponents in the round of 32.

To find Ermias Stewart’s full article, click here.

Late touchdown lifts GV football over Ferris on the road

The now 7-0 Grand Valley State University football team defeated the defending NCAA DII National Champions in Ferris State University in the annual Anchor-Bone Classic to end the regular season six-game losing streak against the opponent.

With the win, the Lakers were able to avenge two losses from the previous season and dealt the Bulldogs its first regular season loss since 2017.

“(The games left a) very bad taste in our mouth,” junior linebacker Abe Swanson said. “We went a whole season thinking about the playoff game and how much that loss hurt us, and it gave us fuel going into this one. There’s still a lot of season left, but it was so satisfying to get that win.”

To see the highlights reported by Bloom, click here.