- This release courtesy of the Grand Valley State Sports Information Department

Nov. 29, 2007

GVSU Ends Season with First Loss

Orange Beach, Ala. - Grand Valley State University gave up two goals in a match for the first time all season and could not overcome the deficit. After giving up two goals to the University of Tampa in the first half, the #1 Lakers got a goal from Ashley Elsass right after the break, but could not tally the game-tying goal in the remaining 43 minutes. The Lakers end the season with a 21-1-1 record and a second consecutive trip to the NCAA Final Four.

"There's always pressure, since we came into today as number one," said Katy Tafler. "You just try to turn that pressure into excitement and use it to motivate you."

Tampa came out strong in the first half, pressuring Grand Valley State from the opening kick. It looked like the Spartans went up 1-0 just 6:27 into the match, but a goal from a leaping header was called back after a player was deemed to be offside. The Lakers got their first chance of the game just more than two minutes later. Sue Christenson sent a corner kick into the middle of the box but Emily Berner's touch went just wide to the left side.

Tampa then pushed back into GVSU's end with back-to-back great scoring opportunities. The first was a shot from in close on the right side by Alison Penland in the 15th minute. Kristina Nasturzio challenged the shot and made a save while diving to the far post. The Spartans did not let up and scored two minutes later. Emily Stack sent a pass to Marissa Mohammed, who corraled the ball about 12 yards out and fired a shot to the right-hand side of the net, just outside the reach of an outstretched Nasturzio.

The Lakers came back strong after the goal, generating two good scoring opportunities before the half. At the 26:59 mark, Katy Tafler chest-trapped a ball at the 18-yard line and one-touched a shot that the Tampa keeper Shannon Aitken was just able to keep out of the net. In the 39th minute, Amber Bloem sent a cross in from the left side that went over the head of Tampa's keeper. Aitken fell down and Joyce Rose played the ball back into the center of the box, but Tafler's header attempt went high as she was pressured.

The first half ended on a goal by Tampa's Marissa Bernard. Berner, being pressured by Bernard, played the ball back to Nasturzio. The GVSU keeper settled the ball and tried to play it out, but Bernard challenged and played it off of Nasturzio's foot and into the net, making the score 2-0 with just 2:08 left in the first half. The score would remain that way heading into the break.

"That goal with two minutes left was really a back-breaker," DiIanni said. "But we've been a second-half team all year. It was a very hard-fought game, and we just came up a little short."

The Lakers exploded out of the locker room, with Ashley Elsass scoring just 1:18 into the second period to make the score 2-1. Tafler controlled the ball at the 18-yard line and played it to Elsass, who was sweeping in wide on the left side. Elsass buried her shot past Aitken to cut the Spartans' lead in half.

"I thought our kids responded in the second half the way they have all season," head coach Dave DiIanni said. "I'm very proud of the way they came back late in the game. They came out and fought for their season in the second half."

Tampa had a chance of their own 7:33 into the second half when they were awarded a free kick from 25 yards out. Nasturzio came out and punched the chance away, but the ball went to Penland, who fire a shot back in. Nasturzio was still able to make the save even though she had came out to punch away the free kick.

GVSU's next opportunity came at the 61:53 mark, when Kristen Eible took a shot off of a corner kick that was blocked on the goal line. Eible had another chance seven and a half minutes later, when, after two Laker shots were blocked by Tampa, Eible corraled the ball and launched a shot that sailed high of the net.

Although Grand Valley continued to pressure for the remainder of the second half, the Tampa defense refused to break. The Lakers outshot the Spartans 6-5, by found themselves at the losing end of a 2-1 score after 90 minutes.