Sept. 14, 2008

Box Score

Big Rapids, Mich. - Grand Valley State shut out Ferris State 3-0 on Sunday afternoon to start conference play. Irie Dennis scored her fourth game-winning goal of the season, and Kristina Nasturzio stopped a season-high four shots in her fourth shutout of the season. GVSU (6-0, 1-0 GLIAC) will travel to Northern Michigan on Friday, Sept. 19 for their next match.

Grand Valley State outshot the Bulldogs by a tremendous 36-9 margin, and had a 18-4 advantage in shots on goal. GVSU's pressure showed in the corner kicks, as well, with the Lakers taking 11 and the Bulldogs getting just two. There were very few fouls throughout the match, which was played on a sloppy field due to the rain, with both teams committing just two. Katy Tafler led the Lakers with three points on the day with a goal and an assist. Dennis and Erika Pitroff scored the other two goals.

The Lakers attacked right from the beginning of the match and took the first eight shots. Two of the first four shots went on goal while the other two were high and wide. The fifth shot, taken in the ninth minute, was Dennis's fifth goal of the season on a shot that went off the right post. Tafler recorded the assist on the goal.

After the goal, GVSU continued to pound the Bulldog goal. Ashley Elsass put her next three shots on goal, but Becci Houdek turned them all away. In the 24th and 25th minutes, Elsass took another two shots that forced Houdek to make saves. Elsass finished the day with five shots, all of which were on frame. At 28:01, Ferris State put their first shot on goal, but Nasturzio was up to the task. GVSU had another chance right before halftime, but Lindsay Marlow's shot at the 44:22 mark was saved by Houdek.

Just more than four minutes into the second half, Joyce Rose took a corner kick that resulted in a shot wide of the goal. She got another chance in the 57th minute and it resulted in Tafler's fourth goal of the season. Tafler headed in Rose's corner kick offering to put the Lakers up 2-0. GVSU closed out the scoring at the 82:28 mark when Pitroff corralled a loose ball at the top of the 18-yard box and put it in the back of the net. The Lakers' defense prevented the Bulldogs from taking a shot in the last eight minutes of the match en route to the 3-0 win.