Morgan’s Message is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving student-athletes’ mental health and removing associated stigma. GVSU is one of nearly 2,000 schools that promote the cause and host a dedicated game.

“It’s a really great opportunity to stop and pause for a second,” said head coach Dominique Hamman. “We talk about how we can support each other and raise awareness not only for a community, but for this team.”

Junior defender Kylie Waeghe agreed, adding she feels the competition is a “great game.”

“It really highlights focusing on our mental health and prioritizing that you’re not alone, and that you have the entire team of people and everybody here at Grand Valley you can lean on,” Waeghe said.

Starting the match, the Lakers capitalized early when senior midfielder Ashleigh Rothe found a gap in the Cardinals’ defense and scored her 29th goal of the season. 

Getting a quick turnover, GVSU’s lead was extended by junior attacker Gracie Bancroft, who scored her 16th goal of the season. The momentum from the Lakers’ offense continued with back-to-back goals less than a minute later by both freshman midfielder Kendra Swope and senior attacker Zoe Ziegler. Forcing another turnover, Ziegler gained possession of the ball and made the most of it by scoring her second goal of the match.

Saginaw rallied back into the game and pushed the ball down the field, where they were able to score their first goal of the game on senior goalie Kaylyn Carter. Carter, a longtime starter for the Lakers, achieved her 200th career save in the team’s previous match. She is the fourth player in program history to reach this mark.

The Lakers responded to the Cardinal’s goal by putting pressure on the net, which led to a pair of goals by Rothe and Bancroft. Swope was also credited with an assist.

Keeping their dominance, junior attacker Grace Maddox, with an assist from Ziegler, maneuvered through the defense and put the ball past Saginaw’s goalie to score her fifth goal of the season. With 30 seconds left in the first quarter, Rothe achieved a hat trick, scoring her third goal of the game.

Heading into the second quarter, the Lakers led 9-1. However, Ziegler quickly extended this lead with a hat trick of her own, scoring her third goal of the game. After only a few minutes, Bancroft joined the club with her third goal, becoming the third Laker to score a hat trick in the match. Now leading by 10 points, a running clock was activated. Once again forcing another turnover, Bancroft was able to get possession of the ball and scored her fourth goal of the game.

With a minute left until halftime, Saginaw finally stopped the Lakers’ seven-point run with a goal of their own. This shortage of time did not deter the Lakers’ offense, as junior midfielder Ella Boose made her way to the net and scored her 12th goal of the season.

Controlling a strong 13-2 lead entering the second half, the Lakers spent no time getting into the game, as Ziegler scored her fourth goal of the match off an assist by Rothe. Snatching the ball out of the air, Rothe showed off by making an impressive behind-the-back shot, which began her run of three-straight goals, with assists from Bancroft and redshirt junior attacker Jillian Bingman. The rest of the Lakers’ offense continued to build from this with a pair of goals by Ziegler and Swope.

Leading 19-2 entering the fourth quarter, Saginaw again stopped GVSU’s seven-point scoring run with their third goal of the match. Despite this goal, a breakaway by the Lakers led to a goal from Bingman, her first of the match and 16th of the season. Regaining possession of the ball, Boose got into position and scored her second goal of the match from an assist by Rothe. Getting the quick turnover, Rothe once again put the ball in the net to score her seventh goal of the game. With this, Rothe scored her 100th career goal.

The Lakers were not done yet, as Boose was able get her own hat trick after scoring her third goal of the game. This was immediately followed by goals from freshman midfielder Emerson Holthouser and sophomore midfielder Ella Manfred. This was a special moment for Manfred, as this was her first career goal for the Lakers.

Although the Lakers scored 25 points, the defense was just as dominant as the offense, allowing only seven shots on the goal compared to the Lakers’ 41 total shots.

“Today, they (the players) wanted to focus on us, and not only did we know we were gonna win, but it was more so, what does that win look like,” said Hamman. “We’ve got to work on some things for us, but I told them it’s always nice when you get to celebrate big moments.”

Rothe stated the team had a great day, both offensively and defensively.

“Being aggressive defensively helped us win, so continually being consistent with that will help us in the future,” said Rothe. 

Along with scoring seven goals in the game, Rothe was coming off being awarded the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Offensive Player of the Week.

“I don’t pay attention to accolades too much,” Rothe said. “I wanna focus on myself and then obviously my team and the season up ahead.”

The women’s lacrosse team will play at home on Friday, April 11, for their next matchup against Northern Michigan University (7-4).

Entering the match, the Lakers were 5-1 on the road in the season’s opening six games. They earned the No. 16 ranking in the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll, which is the third-highest placement in the region. The Saints arrived in Allendale on a six-game winning streak, defeating two, top-25 teams, and sought to continue their streak.

On Friday, friends and family bundled up and piled into the University’s stadium, awaiting the first draw control at center field. Maryville won the initial battle at center field, but turned the ball over for GVSU senior Kaylyn Cater to pick up and produce the first on-goal shot. However, this first shot did not result in a goal, as it narrowly missed and hit the goalpost.

The first eight minutes of play were highly competitive, as each team traded turnovers and shots on goal. Maryville capitalized on a GVSU turnover by picking up a ground ball and clearing the defensive zone to place the first goal on the board halfway through the quarter. Eager to compete, the Lakers won the draw control after the goal, and placed two shots on goal. The Lakers were still unable to get the ball by Maryville goaltender Gianna Guzek, and the Saints took the opportunity to put another goal on the board at the 10-minute mark. With less than three minutes left on the clock, Maryville turned over the ball for GVSU to make a successful clear, and take the game’s first timeout. The strategic timeout allowed the Lakers to come up with a game plan, as junior midfielder Ainsley Shilling set up junior attacker Grace Maddox to bury a goal in the back of the net with less than two minutes to play. This was the last goal of the quarter, which resulted in a score of 1-2 going into the second quarter.

Along with the high-intensity play, both teams dealt with 18 mph wind with gusts of 38 mph. The Lakers took the challenge and adjusted their communication strategies to accommodate the extreme weather.

“Today was a really windy day, so being loud and communicating is super important,” said junior attacker Gracie Bancroft. “Being able to adapt in adversity is something that we’re used to, so just staying loud and communicative was key.”

The team adapted to the extreme weather, but faced adversity in the second quarter. Maryville produced four goals in the second period, two of which were due to fouls. This season, the Saints have been dominating the offensive zone and outscoring opponents 131-49, with an average of 18.71 goals per game.

At the half, the Saints outshot the Lakers 18-10, and dominated the lower game by collecting 13 ground balls to the Lakers’ 11. The Lakers suffered from 14 turnovers and 13 unsuccessful zone clearances.

Despite the Saints’ four-goal production, the Lakers’ defense stood strong by making body-blocks and stops to keep the minimum of four goals.

GVSU’s first-year head coach, Dominique Hamman, noted that the team is currently working on their chemistry in the offensive zone.

“We’re not really scoring very many goals per game, and I think that is a combination of the youth that we have and confidence,” said Hamman. “We have lost a few seniors that were big roles (in the offensive zone) and we are still rebuilding that sort of system, but it’s not quite there yet.”

Since the Lakers are still in the process of figuring out the team’s optimal dynamic, they continue to make changes. At the beginning of the third quarter, GVSU made a goalie change putting in junior Sarah Krause.

The Saints won the initial draw control and carried over the offensive pressure, scoring their seventh goal 33 seconds into play. Two minutes into play, the Lakers went on a power play, where senior midfielder Ashleigh Rothe weaved in the zone and passed to redshirt junior attacker Jillian Bingman, who buried the ball in the net. The Lakers’ defense stepped up and made three critical turnovers to stop the Saints’ offensive powerhouse, but that wasn’t enough. Maryville was able to produce three more goals. Bingman earned her second goal of the night off a free position attempt from a Maryville foul.

Entering the final quarter, Kendra Swope was fouled, and cashed in a goal from a free-position attempt. Maryville brought an aggressive side to the last quarter in the form of seven fouls. Each team traded possession in the final quarter with clearances and picked up ground balls. Krause was able to shut the Saints down in the last quarter, and made two back-to-back stick saves. With less than a minute to play, Swope earned her second goal of the evening, assisted by Rothe. However, this final goal wasn’t enough to make up for the deficit.

Despite the loss, Rothe is still optimistic about this year’s season.

“This team brings so much energy and so much passion, it’s unbelievable,” said Rothe.

The Lakers will be back on the road on Friday, March 28 to play against Concordia St. Paul in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The 2023 season was one of major successes for the Grand Valley State University Lakers women’s lacrosse team, who went undefeated in conference play (6-0) and reached the NCAA Division II National Semifinals after winning the Midwest Regional Championship. The Lakers finished 16-5 and are now off to another blazing start in 2024.

After winning their first four games, No. 10 GVSU has started 7-1, with their only loss coming to the undefeated No. 3 Maryville University by a narrow score of 7-6.

The Lakers are on the road this week, facing Indianapolis University on Thursday, March 28 at 3 p.m. Following their matchup with Indianapolis, GVSU will begin Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference (GLIAC) play the ensuing week.

GV swim and dive men finish 6th, women place 16th, as Maddie Kooistra wins national championship

The GVSU men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams competed at the NCAA DII National Championships in Geneva, Ohio from March 12 through 16. Although the men’s team placed higher at No. 6 overall, the No. 16 placed women’s team brought home a national champion.

Junior diver Maddie Kooistra came home as a national champion after earning first place in the 1-meter-board dive. Kooistra tallied a score of 463.95, which was good enough for the Lakers’ sole national championship. 

Kooistra previously won the consolation final in 2023 for the 1-meter-dive with a score of 446.40 points, a 17.55 point improvement. She had previously also finished with a bronze medal in the 3-meter-dive with a score of 475.90 in 2023.

GV Track and Field continue outdoor season after winning indoor GLIAC Championships, earning 4 NCAA Indoor Championships

After both GVSU men’s and women’s track and field placed first in the GLIAC Championships, winning 17 of 34 titles in the events, both teams finished top five in the NCAA Indoor Championships.

With three men’s athletes winning a national championship, one player from the women’s team earned one. Junior thrower Erika Beistle, who has previously been named an All-American in the discus throw, tossed a 16.37 meter shot put to win the women’s team’s championship.

The national champions for the Lakers men’s squad were senior thrower Myles Kerner, senior distance runner Caleb Futter and freshman high jumper Jaivon Harrison.

Futter ran a 4:18:02 mile time to win the individual title, while Kerner is now the reigning back-to-back national champion in shot put, after winning his second straight title with a 19.31 meter throw. Harrison, who won a high jump national championship in 2021 at the junior college level for the Bryant & Stratton College Bobcats, garnered his first NCAA DII National Championship in year one with GVSU.

The GVSU men’s squad placed second at indoor nationals, while the women’s team placed fourth. The Lakers began outdoor competition on Friday, March 15. They will continue competing outdoors with the men’s team heading to the Raleigh Relays at North Carolina State University starting on Thursday, March 28. The women’s team will head to the University of Texas for the Texas Relays during the same time.

The Lakers’ first home outdoor competition will be the GVSU Early Meet on Friday, April 5.

The Grand Valley State University softball team reached the National Championship in Chattanooga, Tennessee after an incredible run in the regular and postseasons. The Lakers impressed with a 48-8 record overall and an incredible 20-1 record in conference play. The Lakers softball team did not lose a game at home (12-0).

After battling their way through the postseason, the Lakers approached the National Championship Series on an eight game winning streak, falling in two straight of a best-of-three to North Georgia.

Head Coach Dana Callihan has tallied an impressive 352-96 (0.789) record in her nine seasons. Callihan earned her sixth straight Coach of the Year in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference (GLIAC). Eleven of her players earned All GLIAC accolades.

Redshirt Senior Lydia Goble won GLIAC Player of the Year while her fellow Redshirt Senior Hannah Beatus was awarded her third straight conference Pitcher of the Year.

Men’s and Women’s track and field finish strong in nationals 

The GVSU men’s and women’s track and field teams both reached the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) National Championship games. The Lakers men finished in fourth place while the Lakers women finished fifth overall. The two squads had athletes that earned some national recognition and impressed along the way.

The Lakers’ Taryn Chapko (800m), Klaudia O’Malley (1500m) and Natalie Graber (5000m) all finished in the women’s top eight of their respective categories. 

Myles Kerner reached third in the men’s shot put while Eli Kosiba and Jonathan Rankins-James, both high jumpers, placed in the top ten as well. Kosiba finished fifth and Rankins-James finished seventh.

For the United States of America Track and Field (USATF) Outdoor Championships the Lakers did not disappoint. Perhaps the biggest accomplishment of the day was Kosiba finishing fourth in the high jump against 18 of the top high jumpers in the country, regardless of collegiate or professional standing. Rankins-James placed at 12 among the same group of 18.

Women’s Lacrosse program climbs to new heights 

After a dominant 16-5 season (6-0 in conference) the GVSU Lakers’ Women’s Lacrosse team reached the NCAA Final Four in the program’s first season having ever won their region. The Lakers defeated Indianapolis in the Midwest Regional Finals 11-10 to advance to the NCAA Final Four.

The team boasted three First Team All Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Midwest Region honorees as well as four Second Team players in their run to the Final Four. The seven total Lakers also received various levels of All GLIAC recognition following the regular season.

One of the Lakers’ First Team Midwest Region players, Maddy Bursinger, was named GLIAC Midfielder of the Year. Fellow First Teamer Maddy Champagne was awarded with GLIAC Attacker of the Year.

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.

Although a familiar matchup against the Wildcats, this game was recognized as the “Morgan’s Message” game which is created to help eliminate the stigma around mental health within the sports world, highlighting the need for student athletes to reach out and access the many resources catered toward mental and physical health.

Senior midfielder Molly Bursinger demonstrated the importance of the Morgan’s Message game as one of the top-three offensive players, while stating that this match fueled her to perform at a high level.

“The stigma related to mental health is something that affects so many student athletes, and I want to do my part in raising awareness for that,” Bursinger said.

Alongside the idea of making a difference, freshman attacker Gracie Bancroft also spoke to the importance that Morgan’s Message has had on the entire team. 

“Through the season we’ve had so far, our team has been faced with challenges and adversity already,” Bancroft said. “Playing in the game today put our team into a perspective of playing for a bigger cause and shedding light on playing for mental health.”

On top of this initiative, Bancroft mentioned the importance of sticking to the game plan has been to the team not only in the recent bout against NMU, but throughout the season thus far.

“Our team came out with the start of the game with confidence and poise, knowing the game plan and executing it,” Bancroft said.

Overall, it was a solid game played offensively and defensively. Junior attacker Maddy Champagne led the Lakers with five goals, followed by Bursinger and graduate student midfielder Maggie Hammer (three), sophomore midfielders Zoe Ziegler and Ashleigh Rothe (two) and Bancroft (one).

“Offensively, we worked really well as a unit to get everyone on the field involved,” Bursinger said. “This means finding the right looks and executing the shots we were taking. Defensively we communicated through everything, and adapted as mistakes were made.”

The boxscore displayed exactly what the Lakers stressed as the team out-paced the Wildcats 29-14 for shots on goal attempts as junior goalie Audrey Maloney saved six of those 14 attempts.

GVSU came out of the gates hot as they led by three goals at the end of the first quarter (5-2), adding three more goals to their total while only allowing the Wildcats to score once throughout the next 15 minutes as the Lakers took an 8-3 into the halftime break.

“As we adapted, we were able to become more aggressive when the ball was on the ground, allowing us to gain extra possessions,” Bursinger said.

Much of the same continued over the remaining 30 minutes of the match with the Lakers outsourcing NMU 8-5 to take a dominant 16-8 victory.

With the month of April consisting of their final matches of the regular season, GVSU will face off against Notre Dame College on the road April 2 to kick off their six-game stretch this month.

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.”

Having the right balance of confidence was of utmost importance to the Lakers going into their  first conference game March 24, with familiar veterans setting the tone for their team to add another tally to the win column.

Fifth-year senior Maggie Hammer echoed the thoughts of her coach, mentioning that although she and her teammates are confident, injuries and other unforeseen circumstances can add to the extensive list of challenges any team has to face throughout the course of a season.

“I’m feeling really good,” Hammer said. “I think this year overall has had a lot of challenges, with injuries and such, but I’m really excited for this match in particular because I know we’re going to do well.”

The first quarter consisted of the Lakers following the exact game plan Lawler mentioned as the team went into the second quarter with a 5-1 lead and no signs of slowing down. GVSU wouldn’t let their foot off the gas for the next 15 minutes with the team extending their lead to 11-4 going into the halftime break.

GVSU saw their typical list of players adding to the scoreboard with senior Molly Bursinger leading the pack with three goals, but another notable Laker amongst the heavy list was junior Hailey Crittenden with two goals at the half and an assist.

An offensive barrage would continue for the Lakers as their defense would allow just one goal scored in the third quarter, separating the teams by 10 goals (15-5) with just 15 minutes left in the match. 

However, the comfortable lead created a brief mindset of complacency for the Lakers as their guard was let up just enough to let the Bears outscore them 2-5 and closing the final gap to 17-10 in favor of GVSU. 

No matter how dominant the team might have played, moments like this are what Lawler takes notice of and harps on going forward in the season in order to avoid unnecessary mistakes, and even losses.

“Our shooting percentage got pretty sloppy in the second half,” Lawler said. “We did a great job in the first half but just missed some easy opportunities in the second.”

At the same time, the NCAA rules require a “running clock” situation, meaning if a team is leading by 10 points or more, the game clock must continue running (outside of timeouts made by a team) regardless of the game being in the first or second half – something Lawler believes contributed to the Lakers falling back a bit on their intensity on both ends of the pitch.

Outside of the victory, Hammer commented on the fact that the team will likely have tough days ahead in order to secure more victories as the team has already lost three starters this season due to ACL tears. Hammer believes that the team has adjusted well thus far with hopes to accomplish their goals they set during the preseason.

Bursinger finished with a game-high five goals, followed by three from Crittenden and two apiece from junior Maddy Champagne, sophomore Zoe Ziegler and freshman Ella Boose. Graduate student Maggie Hammer, senior Kate DeYoung and sophomore Ellie Bernard also added one goal each to the final score.

GVSU will play Davenport University (March 28) on the road and host Northern Michigan (March 31) at home for the Morgan’s Message Game starting at 5 p.m.

After opening their spring season with a victory in the Augustana Spring Fling March 9-10, the Grand Valley State University women’s golf team finished in seventh place in the UF Spring Invite with a score of 930 (+66).

The Augustana win featured seven teams in total as the Lakers would finish 16 strokes ahead of second place (Augustana-SD) with their final scorecard tallying 596 points. Sophomore Olivia Stoll (equal to par) led her team with the individual title victory, followed by sophomores Paula Badino (tied fourth, +6), Julia Sanchez (tied sixth, +7), Megan Miron (tied ninth, +8) and junior Kay Zubkus making her 2022-23 season debut with a three-way tie finish for 14th overall (+10).

March 20-21 consisted of the UF Invite as 18 teams fought for the title. Although a far different outcome than the one previous, all five Lakers managed to place in the top-40 of 95 golfers: Sanchez (tied 11th, +10), Stoll (tied 26th, +19), Miron (tied 30th, +20), Badino (tied 38th, +23) and Zubkus tying for 40th place (+24).

GVSU will hope to rebound as they travel out of state to play in the North Georgia Event April 3-4.

Men’s lacrosse club open up home action

GVSU men’s lacrosse club is one of many spring sports looking to add a potential conference, regional and even national title to their history books as the team is heading home to Allendale to continue spring ball.

However, the team is still feeling the effects of the global shutdown after all this time. Prior to their last two home games March 24 and 26, the team had only played one home game in 1,453 days. 

With that, the victory against the University of Dayton made it that much sweeter for the Lakers to be back on their home pitch and continue their illustrious play for the 2023 spring campaign. Just four games remain in their schedule, with two of those matches being at home this week.

The Lakers will host Missouri State University (March 31) and the University of St. Thomas (April 2) in their final home games of the season.

Softball back on the winning side

Women’s softball added their 18th victory of the season after a successful doubleheader against Parkside University that finished 2-0 for the Lakers, placing the team at No. 1 in the GLIAC standings.

March 24 consisted of GVSU shutting out the Rangers in the first game, 10-0, in just six innings, followed by another 10-2 blowout that ended in five innings to add to the excitement of their home-opening weekend. 

GVSU will continue a stretch of home battles as they host two doubleheaders against Lewis University (March 29) at 3 p.m. and Ferris State (April 1) at 1 p.m.

After an extensive break in coverage, many Grand Valley State University sports are finishing their seasons with high and lows while shaking off the rust of lengthy offseasons.

The men’s basketball team lost in the GLIAC Tournament semifinals to Michigan Tech (69-73) led by a near double-double from junior Marius Grazulis (19 points, nine rebounds), finishing their season 18-12 overall.

Both men’s and women’s golf secured invitational victories to begin spring action as the women’s team won the Augustana Spring Fling March 9-10 (+20 over par) and the men’s securing the Buccaneer Classic March 6-7 (-15 under par). Each team will participate in separate invites March 20-21 in the UF Spring Invite (women’s) and the Ralph Hargett Invite (men’s).

Women’s lacrosse is still finding their groove as they are 2-3 in their last five appearances and dropped both of their first two home games of the season against UIndy (12-13, March 12) and Maryville (12-15, March 17).

A huge battle for a national title saw both sides of the swim and dive program finish in the top-15 of the NCAA DII National Championships; men’s (sixth place, 239 points), women’s (14th place, 109 points). Although a disappointing end to the season, the teams were able to secure the GLIAC men’s and women’s titles this season.

The baseball team was almost perfect in the RussMatt Invite (9-1) March 6-12 to open up spring ball. The team’s most recent victory was against Salem University (7-3) March 17 followed by a canceled bout against Mercyhurst the same day.

Prior to two doubleheaders being canceled against Ohio Dominican (March 17) and Cedarville University (March 18), the softball team were also on fire to begin spring action as they finished 10-2 between March 5-11. The team has two doubleheaders scheduled March 25-26 against Parkside and Purdue Northwest respectively for their home opener.

GVSU’s DI hockey club finished their season in the semifinals of the ACHA Men’s 1 2023 National Championships against the No. 4 ranked University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV). The Lakers were defeated in a heartbreaking 3-4 overtime loss.

Men’s and women’s tennis have combined for a 1-7 record in a total of eight matches played (four each) between March 6-17 with the women’s team defeating St. Petersburg 4-3.

Last but not least, track and field competed in the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships with the men’s finishing in third place and the women’s sixth place overall. Both teams have started the outdoor season as the Raleigh Relays Invite is up next between March 23-25.

Senior attacker Kate DeYoung said the team was highly motivated going into the start of the season as the honors they received during the preseason added to their desire to win.

“Coming in with the highest national ranking (No. 5 in preseason poll) in GVSU program history has been a big part of our motivation,” DeYoung said. “Practicing against each other and being some of the best players in the country gives us the confidence to control the pace of games.”

Feb. 16 saw the Lakers come out with strong offensive control throughout the game against Flagler as four players contributed to the final score.

Junior attacker Maddy Champagne set the pace with the first goal of the match just 52 seconds into the first quarter. This goal would open the floodgates as a battle to stay out in front would ensue with Flagler finally able to knot up the score 1-1 several minutes later (6:23).

The tied scoreline wouldn’t last for more than a minute as graduate student midfielder Maggie Hammer scored 35 seconds later (5:57) to put the Lakers back on top, 2-1. Just under two minutes later, Flagler would tie the score at 2-2 to finish out the first quarter.

In the second, Flagler had a quick goal to take their first lead of the match, 2-3, but a huge surge by GVSU on both sides of the pitch saw the Lakers score six-unanswered goals (8-3) by the end of the quarter that was led by three players; Champagne (three), DeYoung (two) and junior midfielder Sydney Stone (one).

Three more goals throughout the third quarter (two by DeYoung, one by Stone) responded to the four goals scored by Flagler as the opponent attempted to regain control of the match heading into the final quarter, 11-7.

After DeYoung scored her final goal of the match, Flagler cut into the deficit with two-straight goals with 8:50 remaining in the match. However, the Lakers didn’t waiver and would ultimately put their opening match of the season to rest with a close victory, 14-12.

Leading the team with six goals, DeYoung said her time spent paying attention to the scouting report allowed her to find several openings on the goal.

“I knew going into the game that their low defense was lacking (and) this gave me a lot of opportunity to help lead our team to victory,” DeYoung said.

Champagne was the second-leading scorer (five goals) and said her motivation going into this match stemmed from the adversities she dealt with last season.

“After suffering back-to-back injuries and health issues, I wanted to start this season by returning stronger as a player and as a leader,” Champagne said. “Flagler was a well-rounded team, but with the help of my teammates, I was set for success in beginning my season strong.”

Coming off a strong win, GVSU faced tough competition against the No. 10 ranked Rollins College on Feb. 18 in their second of two road matches. 

Rollins would strike first on the scoreboard just over halfway into the first quarter (8:32), but Stone was quick to answer with a goal of her own (7:27) to tie up the match. Unfortunately for the Lakers, the next four goals scored were all awarded to Rollins, finishing the first quarter with a score of 1-5 and starting an offensive landslide for the remainder of the first half.

Scoring seven unanswered goals in a row opened up the box score by a wide margin for Rollins as GVSU scrambled to find a response on offense and defense. With 2:52 remaining in the half, Hammer was able to find the back of the net to add a second goal for the Lakers.

Another deflating goal by Rollins a minute and some change later would close out the half in favor of the opponent, 2-9.

Just as it seemed the match was out of sight, the Lakers stormed back with a 7-4 scoring run in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 9-13. However, the comeback would fall short as Rollins held GVSU to just two more goals scored to finish the match 11-15.

Champagne led the team with three goals as five other Lakers contributed to the tough loss; Hammer (two), senior midfielder Molly Bursinger (two), sophomore midfielder Ashleigh Rothe (two), junior midfielder Hailey Crittenden (one) and Stone (one).

The Lakers will take a week off as they prepare to continue their five-game stretch of road matches against Colorado Mesa and Regis University on March 3-5.