The Grand Valley State University women’s soccer team (4-1-2) traveled to Hammond, Ind. on Sept. 22 to take on the Purdue University Northwest Pride (2-3-1), snatching a 6-1 win, coming off of their second tie of the season.

After the 1-1 draw on Sunday, Sept. 17 against the Saginaw Valley State University Cardinals, Lakers’ head coach Katie Hultin found growth in the tie.

“Last week we had two tough opponents, but I thought we grew from that weekend,” Hultin said. “I think we continued to work on the details within the game and working as a unit for a full 90 minutes.”

It was a tight game throughout, and Lakers’ sophomore Amanda Palmer knocked in the tying goal just before halftime, as both teams failed to score in the final 50 minutes of the match. 

GVSU Soccer was hosting Alumni and Family weekend for the game against SVSU, welcoming 100 kids onto the field before the match. Hultin, who has three small kids of her own (one daughter and two twin boys) enjoyed the celebration.

“It was so much fun. It’s so great to be able to have our alumni back all while inspiring the youth,” Hultin said.

The attendance for the game was 620 people, the highest total of the season.

Heading into a new week, the Lakers turned their attention towards PNW. Last year, GVSU beat the Pride in both of their matchups, first 8-0 and then 2-0, shutting them out on the season. PNW finished 2022 without a single win, 0-15-1. Now seven games in, they already have two victories and a tie at 2-4-1.

In the tenth minute of the game, junior midfielder Emma Chudik tallied the first goal of the game and her second of the season, assisted by freshman forward Alli French. This was the first goal of a hat trick for Chudik, and the first of six in the game for the Lakers.

Only four minutes later, GVSU went up 2-0 on a PNW own goal. Moments after the mistake, junior forward Emma Carter responded for the Pride by cutting their deficit in half for the team’s first and only goal (in the opposing net) of the game. PNW scored another own goal in the twenty-ninth minute. At the end of the first half, GVSU led the game 3-1, with a 7-3 advantage in shots. 

Beginning the second half GVSU started off strong. Chudik launched her second goal of the game, assisted by senior forward Taylor Reid for a 4-1 lead at the 55-minute mark. Only eight minutes later, Reid once again found Chudik, who finished off her hat trick. 

The Lakers began to empty the bench, and late in the second half, freshman midfielder Ella Kleiver scored the fifth goal of the game on an assist from Palmer.

“Amanda Palmer had the ball at the top of the eighteen and I was on the other side of the box,” Kleiver said. “I was watching her body movement as she made a move around a defender towards the end line so I ran a front post and was able to get on the end of her cross.”

Not only was this Kleiver’s first score of the season but also her first-ever collegiate goal.

“My teammates were hyping me up before I subbed into the game, and some were manifesting that I was going to score today. So to be able to do that, not only for myself but for my team, meant a lot to me,” Kleiver said. “A lot was going on in my mind. I was eager, nervous, excited, but I was able to manage those feelings and get the ball in the back of the net.” 

Closing out the game with a final score of 6-1, GVSU moves to 4-1-2 on the season having not lost a game since their season opener against Ashland.