Grand Valley State University’s Division I club-hockey team took the ice Friday at Griff’s Georgetown Ice Arena, with the Lakers picking up a 4-1 win against Aquinas College.
Aquinas came out rearing, dictating the pace of the game throughout the first period. The Saints possessed the puck for large chunks of the period, forcing GVSU to string together long defensive possessions that didn’t allow them to get into a rhythm on the offensive end. Aquinas netted the first score of the contest with 11:35 left in the period, leading to a scrum that ended with a Laker power play in the final minutes.
However, the Lakers failed to capitalize on this five-on-four advantage, leaving the score at 1-0 in favor of the Saints in the first 20 minutes of action.
Senior forward Kamryn Hellman commented on the underwhelming start, noting a need for more aggressive play.
“After the first period, we took a step back and realized we needed to ramp our intensity up,” explained Hellman. “We needed to be the first on the puck and hungry to win those puck races.”
Coming out of the break, things turned quickly in favor of the Lakers. After being in a four-on-four situation with both teams down a player early in the period, GVSU broke through for their first score of the game. Sophomore forward Mason Cole tied the game at 1-1 with assists from sophomore forward Tyler Husted and junior forward Lucas Henry.
It did not take long for the Lakers to strike again, with junior defenseman Clayton Senti notching his first goal of the season. With an assist from Husted at the 11:57 mark in the second period, this left the game at 2-1.
Penalty minutes were a massive momentum shifter for both teams throughout the game, but it especially dictated how GVSU ran away in the second and third periods. There were multiple four-on-four matchups that gave each team time on the power play, but the Lakers took advantage of those moments more often than the Saints.
Coming from the locker room to begin the third period, the Lakers continued to bring intensity, and locked down any chance of an Aquinas offensive push. Namely, sophomore goalie Taylor White gloved a breakaway opportunity for the Saints after a line change gave the Saints a one-on-one to try and tie the game.
The team rallied around this huge defensive stop and tacked on more goals to ensure a Laker victory. Sophomore forward Yarne Vaerewyck scored the third goal of the game for GVSU, with an assist from junior forward Chase Tallaire 11 minutes left to play. They immediately tallied another score, with Hellman finding the back of the net with a set up from senior defenseman Carson Wood and senior forward Brendan Walk. This made the score 4-1 at the 9:28 mark, putting the game out of reach for the Saints.
The Lakers successfully notched a penalty kill in the last moments of the game, with the final horn sounding and the Lakers taking home a 4-1 victory. Even with an impressive showing in periods two and three, Hellman noted starting games out strong is vital for their success going forward.
“We have to become better at starting the game the way we have ended the last couple of games,” Hellman said. “This will be key for us heading into the rest of the season.”
Head coach Ben Lamm acknowledged there is still plenty of work for the team to do, but he is impressed by how the Lakers have been so adaptive to new tweaks and wrinkles in their play style.
“(I am) really happy with how our guys have been quick learners and adapted to a new system quickly,” said Lamm. “We have a great group (of players) and the coaching staff is very excited for this season.”
The Lakers are now 3-1 on the season, and will go on the road to face Illinois State University for a weekend set Oct. 10-11.
