Aug. 19, 2008

Allendale, Mich. - Grand Valley State University's women's soccer team started off its European trip with a win and a loss in its first two games. On Saturday, Aug. 16, the No. 3 Lakers dropped a 3-0 decision to Hamburg Sports Verein (HSV), before rebounding with a 3-1 win over Aolborg (AAB) on Monday, Aug. 18.

The match against HSV earned the team valuable experience. The HSV team is comparable to some Division I programs here in the United States, so it was a step up in competition for the Lakers. Sophomore Sam DeNio and freshman Chelsea Parise both saw action in goal.

On Monday, the competition was much closer, as AAB is a more GLIAC-level opponent. Although Grand Valley State was coming off of a six hour bus ride, they still managed to pull out a 3-1 victory. Freshman Kayla Klosterman joined seniors Katy Tafler and Ashley Elsass on the score sheet, as all three recorded a goal. DeNio and Parise were both in goal once again, and were joined this time by freshman Erin Rappleye.

The Lakers' next match is Tuesday night against Fortuna's (Denmark) Reserve team. Fortuna is a top Danish team with many players on national teams. Because they have a league game on Wednesday, the Reserve team will see action, which should still be very challenging for Grand Valley State. GVSU will take on Fortuna's First Team on Wednesday, Aug. 20.