The No.16 ranked Grand Valley State University women’s lacrosse team invited the No.5 ranked Maryville University Saints to Allendale on Friday, March 21 for their season home opener, but fell short, 5-10.

Entering the match, the Lakers were 5-1 on the road in the season’s opening six games. They earned the No. 16 ranking in the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll, which is the third-highest placement in the region. The Saints arrived in Allendale on a six-game winning streak, defeating two, top-25 teams, and sought to continue their streak.

On Friday, friends and family bundled up and piled into the University’s stadium, awaiting the first draw control at center field. Maryville won the initial battle at center field, but turned the ball over for GVSU senior Kaylyn Cater to pick up and produce the first on-goal shot. However, this first shot did not result in a goal, as it narrowly missed and hit the goalpost.

The first eight minutes of play were highly competitive, as each team traded turnovers and shots on goal. Maryville capitalized on a GVSU turnover by picking up a ground ball and clearing the defensive zone to place the first goal on the board halfway through the quarter. Eager to compete, the Lakers won the draw control after the goal, and placed two shots on goal. The Lakers were still unable to get the ball by Maryville goaltender Gianna Guzek, and the Saints took the opportunity to put another goal on the board at the 10-minute mark. With less than three minutes left on the clock, Maryville turned over the ball for GVSU to make a successful clear, and take the game’s first timeout. The strategic timeout allowed the Lakers to come up with a game plan, as junior midfielder Ainsley Shilling set up junior attacker Grace Maddox to bury a goal in the back of the net with less than two minutes to play. This was the last goal of the quarter, which resulted in a score of 1-2 going into the second quarter.

Along with the high-intensity play, both teams dealt with 18 mph wind with gusts of 38 mph. The Lakers took the challenge and adjusted their communication strategies to accommodate the extreme weather.

“Today was a really windy day, so being loud and communicating is super important,” said junior attacker Gracie Bancroft. “Being able to adapt in adversity is something that we’re used to, so just staying loud and communicative was key.”

The team adapted to the extreme weather, but faced adversity in the second quarter. Maryville produced four goals in the second period, two of which were due to fouls. This season, the Saints have been dominating the offensive zone and outscoring opponents 131-49, with an average of 18.71 goals per game.

At the half, the Saints outshot the Lakers 18-10, and dominated the lower game by collecting 13 ground balls to the Lakers’ 11. The Lakers suffered from 14 turnovers and 13 unsuccessful zone clearances.

Despite the Saints’ four-goal production, the Lakers’ defense stood strong by making body-blocks and stops to keep the minimum of four goals.

GVSU’s first-year head coach, Dominique Hamman, noted that the team is currently working on their chemistry in the offensive zone.

“We’re not really scoring very many goals per game, and I think that is a combination of the youth that we have and confidence,” said Hamman. “We have lost a few seniors that were big roles (in the offensive zone) and we are still rebuilding that sort of system, but it’s not quite there yet.”

Since the Lakers are still in the process of figuring out the team’s optimal dynamic, they continue to make changes. At the beginning of the third quarter, GVSU made a goalie change putting in junior Sarah Krause.

The Saints won the initial draw control and carried over the offensive pressure, scoring their seventh goal 33 seconds into play. Two minutes into play, the Lakers went on a power play, where senior midfielder Ashleigh Rothe weaved in the zone and passed to redshirt junior attacker Jillian Bingman, who buried the ball in the net. The Lakers’ defense stepped up and made three critical turnovers to stop the Saints’ offensive powerhouse, but that wasn’t enough. Maryville was able to produce three more goals. Bingman earned her second goal of the night off a free position attempt from a Maryville foul.

Entering the final quarter, Kendra Swope was fouled, and cashed in a goal from a free-position attempt. Maryville brought an aggressive side to the last quarter in the form of seven fouls. Each team traded possession in the final quarter with clearances and picked up ground balls. Krause was able to shut the Saints down in the last quarter, and made two back-to-back stick saves. With less than a minute to play, Swope earned her second goal of the evening, assisted by Rothe. However, this final goal wasn’t enough to make up for the deficit.

Despite the loss, Rothe is still optimistic about this year’s season.

“This team brings so much energy and so much passion, it’s unbelievable,” said Rothe.

The Lakers will be back on the road on Friday, March 28 to play against Concordia St. Paul in St. Paul, Minnesota.