Snow, frigid temperatures and Indiana Tech University, all weren’t enough to stop the Grand Valley State University women’s lacrosse squad in their home season opener.

A quick start propelled GVSU to a 20-5 victory after sophomore Jordan Luberto scored the first goal of the game 20 seconds into the match.

The game was never in question for GVSU, as they burst out of the gate scoring the game’s first three goals en route to an 11-3 halftime lead. Senior attacker Allyson Fritts led the Lakers with five goals, while sophomore teammate Rachel Leibovitz added four more goals.

Despite having the game in hand for the most part, GVSU never let up.

“They stayed motivated,” said head coach Alicia Groveston. “We have a lot of stuff to work on and they know that. That’s what the second half was.”

The slick turf and falling snow wasn’t enough to slow down the GVSU offense, as the Lakers continued the onslaught, taking a ten-goal lead and forcing a running clock with 28 minutes remaining.

“We were in New Hampshire and it was equally as cold,” Luberto said, who netted a hat trick in the game. “We’re used to it at this point. You just can’t let it get to you.”

While the elements were anything but friendly, the Lakers did an admirable job of protecting their turf in the 2013 home opener. The dismantling of Indiana Tech helped the Lakers take the first step in their goal to an undefeated home record in the GLIAC.

“Any time you have an opener, all eyes are on you,” Fritts said. “The fact that we could score as many goals as we did and come out with guns blazing was impressive. I’m proud of my team.”

Team depth was at the center point of the Laker domination, as 11 different players made their way onto the score sheet, highlighted by Fritts’ six points.

GVSU won the statistics battle in every category, outshooting the Warriors 36-15, winning the battle on ground balls, and controlling eight more face-offs than the opposition.

The loss was the first of the season for Indiana Tech (2-1) as GVSU improved to 2-2 on the 2013 campaign. The surging Lakers look to build off the momentum from their win as they go on the road for five consecutive games.

“If you don’t set the tone now, you’re not going to set it come April,” Groveston said. “This is a step in the right direction. This game showed us that we just need to go out and execute and this gave us the confidence to do that.”

GVSU will face Seton Hall University on March 17.
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