Courtesy of Jake Levy, GVSU Director of Communications and Broadcasting
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Grand Valley State coaching staff, fresh off a National Championship, have been named the United Soccer Coaches National Coaching Staff of the Year. This is the fourth time this award, which previously was just head coach of the year, has been won by GVSU and the first for current head coach Jeff Hosler and his staff of Megan Link, Annette Stromberg, Dustin Smith and Scott Modisher.
Hosler led the Lakers to the program's sixth National Title in 2019, finishing the season 25-1. The only loss came at No. 25 Minnesota State, whom the Lakers would beat in the Elite Eight to avenge the only defeat of the season. The 25 wins match a program record, which was set in 2018 during the GVSU runner-up season.
Six Lakers earned All-America status in 2019, including three unanimous selections. Riko Sagara was the unanimous National Player of the Year after leading the nation with 23 assists and ranking second with 63 points in her senior season. The Lakers had seven All-Region selections, five of which were unanimous, and 10 All-GLIAC honorees; including the conference offensive player, defensive player, freshman and coach of the year. The Lakers also saw one CoSIDA Academic All-American and two United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Americans, including the Scholar Athlete of the Year. GVSU also had the Elite 90 award winner. Overall, the Lakers tallied an incredible 59 individual awards for the season.
The Lakers set a single-season record for goals (117) and led the nation in scoring average (4.52) for the year. Three different Lakers eclipsed the 20-goal mark for the season; junior Ava Cook led the nation with 29 goals and 69 points, freshman Chantel Carranza poured in 23 goals and Sagara reached the 20-mark with her game-winner in the National Semifinal. The goal total surpassed the old record of 104 set back in 2016. GVSU scored five or more goals in 13 of their 26 matches this year.
Defensively, the Lakers led the nation in goals-against average through the regular season. They would finish fourth overall in the stat for the year, allowing 10 goals in 26 matches. GVSU went on a 13-match shutout streak, two matches shy of the national record, and made history as the first team in 25 years of GLIAC women's soccer to go the entire conference schedule without allowing a goal. The streak was broken in the 86' of the GLIAC Tournament quarterfinals with the Lakers leading 5-0 at the time.
Hosler has won three national championships in his six seasons with Grand Valley State. He led the Lakers to national titles in each of his first two seasons in 2014 and 2015 and also had runner-up finishes in 2016 and 2018. The only year in which Hosler did not reach the national championship match, his team fell in the Elite Eight to the eventual undefeated national champion, Central Missouri.
GVSU has won more national championships than any other program in Division II women's soccer and close the decade with the best winning percentage in the nation. Hosler, an East Lansing, Michigan native, joined the Lakers after coaching for eight seasons at his alma mater, Alma College where he was a two-sport athlete in soccer and basketball.
