Holland Reporter

The Grand Valley State women's soccer team is set to compete for their 16th Midwest Regional Championship on Friday, December 1. The Lakers will face the top-seeded Ashland Eagles in Ashland, Ohio, at 6:00 PM. The winner of this match will advance to the NCAA Elite Eight and play against either Emporia State or Washburn on Sunday, December 3.

Grand Valley State reached this stage after defeating McKendree 3-0 in the first round and Maryville 2-1 in the second round. Stephanie Sturgeon has been a standout player, scoring three goals from corner kicks during the tournament. Avery Lockwood contributed with a goal and an assist against McKendree, including her third game-winning goal of the season. Abby Winn provided an assist for the decisive goal against Maryville and currently leads the team with four assists.

Kacy Lauer and Taylor Reid are tied as top scorers for the Lakers with four goals each and three assists, totaling 11 points each. Ryann Fetty has also been pivotal, scoring three goals and providing three assists this season. Goalkeeper Isabel Imes has started 17 games, making 34 saves with five shutouts.

This upcoming match marks the second encounter between Grand Valley State and Ashland this season; Ashland previously won their meeting in Allendale with a score of 1-0. Historically, Grand Valley State leads their series against Ashland with a record of 20-11-2.

Ashland secured their position as the number one seed in the Midwest Region by maintaining an unbeaten record of 17-0-4 before entering the NCAA Tournament. They advanced to the regional finals by defeating Michigan Tech 3-0 and Cedarville 2-0, bringing their current record to 19-0-4.

The Eagles have demonstrated strong defensive capabilities throughout the season, outscoring opponents by a significant margin of 55-4 while achieving 19 clean sheets. They lead nationally with a .951 save percentage and .826 shutout percentage.

Key players for Ashland include sophomore forward Dani Hicks, who received All-GMAC first-team honors with nine goals and seven assists for a total of 25 points this season. Junior midfielder Merrik Mihalek was named GMAC Defensive Player of the Year with seven goals and five assists. Senior goalkeeper Mackenzie Simon boasts a record of 13-0-1 from her starts in goal, leading nationally with a .927 save percentage.

The match will be available for live streaming on GMAC Sports Network. Additional updates can be followed on Twitter via @GVSUSoccer.