Nov. 11, 2007

Final Stats

Allendale, Mich. - Kristina Nasturzio stopped a season-high five shots through 110 minutes of action and then denied Mercyhurst's Sarah Powell in a shootout as Grand Valley State advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament. Ashley Elsass scored in regulation and the #1 Lakers were 3-of-3 in the penalty kick session to help GVSU advance. Although the score was tied at the end of regulation, Grand Valley advances to the next round on Friday, Nov. 16 on the campus of Minnesota State-Mankato.

The first half was a defensive struggle, with both teams recording just two shots on goal. The difference in the first 45 minutes came when Elsass took a pass from Irie Dennis and beat MC goalkeeper Rebecca Heintzman to make the score 1-0. The goal was Elsass's 13th of the season.

Mercyhurst had chances to tie the game, including a penalty kick opportunity in the 32nd minute. Emily Berner was called for a foul inside the box, which led to a penalty kick by Adrienne Sluga. Sluga put the shot toward the right post, but Nasturzio was quick off of her line and made the diving save to keep the opposing Lakers off of the scoresheet heading into halftime. Berner was given a yellow card for the infraction.

The yellow cards kept coming in the second half and overtime, as a total of seven cards were given out during the match. Taylor Hilinski and Jacque Sluga both saw yellow cards in the second half, while Katie Johnson got GVSU's second yellow card of the day in the 60th minute.

Mercyhurst tied the match just 4:19 into the second half. Christine Rehnert broke in all alone down the left side and lifted her shot over a sliding Nasturzio. Rehnert's 11th goal of the season made the score 1-1. Rehnert's shot was one of three shots on goal from Mercyhurst in the second half, giving them five total in the regulation 90 minutes. GVSU finished the first 90 with seven shots on goal.

Although neither team had any shots on goal in the first overtime period, Mercyhurst outshot GVSU by a 2-0 margin. Both teams had chances, but could not end the game in the 20 minutes of Golden Goal play. After the two 10 minute overtime periods, the teams each chose five players to take the penalty kicks to decide who would advance to the third round of the NCAA Tournament.

Mercyhurst took the first kick, sending Sarah Powell to the line. Powell placed her shot to the lower left-hand corner, but a diving Nasturzio was equal to the task, knocking the ball just outside of the post. Katy Tafler, the Daktronics Great Lakes Region Player of the Year, stepped up for GVSU, burying her chance in the back of the net to put GVSU up by a 1-0 margin in the penalty kicks.

The next two shooters for Mercyhurst saw similar results. Lisa Melander put her shot wide of the net and Adrienne Sluga saw her shot glance off the top of crossbar. For Grand Valley, Joyce Rose fooled Heintzman to score and then Berner sealed the game with a goal that beat Heintzman, who guessed the correct side on the shot.

GVSU's next match will be Friday, Nov. 16 against Drury on the campus of Minnesota State-Mankato in the third round of the NCAA Tournament.