For the third time in five days, the Grand Valley State University women’s lacrosse team found themselves in New York, battling for a win on the East Coast. The road trip woes continued for the Lakers, however, as they dropped a 17-7 decision to Queens (N.Y.) College on Thursday afternoon.

Poor execution, a slow start, and the inability to put away open shots doomed the Lakers as they lost their third consecutive game, falling to 2-5 on the 2013 campaign.

GVSU couldn’t keep up with the Knights offensively, as Queens shot out of the gate to take a 5-1 lead. Sophomore Alyssa Neumen converted a free-position opportunity to bring the Lakers within three, but a 3-0 run by Queens effectively put the game out of reach by the end of the first half.

The stat sheet, outside of the score, showed a very tight game, as GVSU was outshot 29-22, but won the ground balls battle. Draw controls were even at 13 apiece, and GVSU managed to force one more turnover.

Despite what looks like an improvement on paper, Laker head coach Alicia Groveston was unhappy with her team’s play.

“It was a very poorly executed game,” Groveston said. “We struggled with every part of our game. We just got in our own way a lot of the time. We played as poorly as we have all year.”

The second season of GVSU lacrosse has been a tough one for the Lady Lakers, as they have struggled to replicate last year’s record of 10-7. GVSU’s tough schedule hasn’t done them any favors in the wins department up to this point in the campaign, but they hope the challenges they face now, will prove to pay dividends come time for conference play. According to sophomore midfielder Meagan Emery, GVSU’s disappointing record is a poor barometer of their play compared to last year’s team.

“Even though we lost, our play was still an improvement from last year,” Emery said. “We could’ve kept up with this team and we could’ve executed and taken the game. It’s just the little things.”

The road trip has been tough on the Lakers, who have only played one game at home this season, which was a 20-5 win over Indiana Tech University. Traveling will be a common theme for GVSU, as it is the only Division II women’s lacrosse team in the state of Michigan, meaning that even their conference games will require them to leave the state.

The East Coast road trip cumulated on Saturday, as the Lakers will take on Roberts Wesleyan University for one last game in New York. Conference play will come as a welcome relief for GVSU, as it combines easier opponents with more home games.

“We love home games, so we can’t wait to get back,” said sophomore midfielder Kelsei Streeter. “We need that game (Roberts Wesleyan) 100%. We need a strong win to keep our morale up.”

In addition to playing at home, GVSU will face teams who have a combined record of 16-32 up to this point in the season. This is bound to be welcome relief from their previous competition, who are sporting an astounding 43-15 record. The Lakers were led on Thursday by sophomore Ali Dixon, who scored a team-high two goals to go with one assist. Kayleen Kelty carried the Knights with a game-high four goals.
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