Holland Reporter

The No. 1 Grand Valley State women's soccer team begins conference play this weekend with matches in the Upper Peninsula. The Lakers will open their conference schedule against Northern Michigan on Friday, Sept. 20 at 3:00 PM in Marquette and will then face Michigan Tech on Sunday, Sept. 22 at 12:00 PM.

GVSU was ranked as the number one team in the country in the latest United Soccer Coaches national poll. The Lakers are coming off a significant road win against No. 4 Central Missouri and hold a season record of 3-0-1. Alli French scored the game-winning goal and notched two goals on seven shots over the weekend. Kacy Lauer was named GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week after playing all 90 minutes in both games against Central Missouri and Northwest Missouri State.

Alli French and Emma Chudik lead offensively for the Lakers with two goals and four points each this season. French leads the team with ten shots, seven on goal, while Chudik is second with four shots on goal. Cailynn Junk made seven saves over the last weekend, improving her record in goal to 2-0-1.

Northern Michigan enters conference play with a 2-1-1 record. The Wildcats recently secured a 3-0 win against Cedarville and a 1-1 draw at Northwood. Northern Michigan has outscored opponents 11-4 and outshot them 70-18.

Justina L'Esperance has scored three goals and provided one assist for seven points this season for the Wildcats. Madison Bilbia has scored two goals for eight points overall. Eight players have scored through Northern Michigan's first four games. Goalkeepers Sally Patton and Jillian Thompson have split time in goal, making four saves each.

Michigan Tech holds a record of 2-1 this season but is coming off a recent 4-1 loss at Northwood. Reilly Lovercheck and Julia Pietila both lead the Huskies with one goal each, while Taylor Noble has added an assist. Bri Barrows has made two starts in goal, posting a perfect record with two shutouts.

Both games will be streamed live on FloSports. Visit gvsulakers.com for links to live video and live stats updates throughout the weekend can be followed via @GVSUSoccer on Twitter.

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