Nov. 6, 2009

Bay City, Mich. - Grand Valley State placed nine players on the All-GLIAC First Team and two on the All-GLIAC Second Team, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference (GLIAC) announced on Friday, Nov. 7. In addition, the Lakers earned Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards.

GVSU senior forward Irie Dennis was named the Offensive Player of the Year in balloting conducted by the league's coaches. Dennis has made a significant impact for the Lakers this year and during her career. She has started all 20 games for Grand Valley State, playing in 1067 minutes. Dennis has notched six goals and six assists for a total of 18 points this season and has helped the No. 3 Lakers to a 18-0-2, 13-0-1 GLIAC record. She has posted an astounding record of 76-3-4 in her four years at GVSU. She is currently fifth in GVSU history with 28 assists, sixth with 30 goals and sixth with 88 points during her career. Dennis has also notched 11 game-winning goals in a Laker uniform the past four years. She has also been recognized for her academics, as she was recently named a member of the 2009 ESPN The Magazine All-District IV Academic Second Team.

Sophomore Megan Brown was named the Defensive Player of the year and has been apart of an impressive backline that has only allowed nine goals this season, averaging out to .45 goals-against per game. In large part because of her defense, GVSU ranks first in the GLIAC in shutout percentage (0.63) and has recorded 12 shutouts this season. Brown and the Lakers have also held opponents to just 45 shots on goal through 19 matches, just more than 2 shots on goal per contest. In conference the Lakers allowed just five goals, and never more than one in a match. The sophomore defender recorded a multi-point game on Sept. 4 in the 8-2 win over Missouri-St. Louis, where she recorded two assists. She has started all of GVSU's 20 games, playing 1401 minutes and notching five assists this year.

Freshman forward Ashley Botts was named the Freshman of the Year and has helped the No. 3 Lakers to an unbeaten 2009 regular season. In her first season, she leads the Lakers with 13 goals and 31 points. In the GLIAC she is second in goals, third in points and is tied for second with five game-winning goals. She leads GVSU with 73 shots, placing 35 of them on goal. The freshman forward recorded a multi-point game on Oct. 11 in the 5-0 win over Ashland, where she recorded two goals and an assist.

Joining Dennis, Brown and Botts on the 2009 All-GLIAC First Team were: junior midfielder Kristen Eible, senior midfielder Katie Johnson, sophomore midfielder Erin Mruz, senior defender Amber Bloem, junior defender Jenna Wenglinski, and redshirt freshman goalkeeper Chelsea Parise. Freshman midfielder Erin Hilbert and senior defender Natalja Stanski were named to the All-GLIAC Second Team.