>> Welcome back to an all new episode of the Grand Valley State sports report on wgem news.

I'm your host Jake leading in this episode will break down.

GSU football is convincing win in the U P Laker soccer gets a pair of shutout as they continue to stay unbeaten Laker volleyball split the tough week on the road for women's golf.

Get a win on their home course will also feature the GSU men's cross country team as they look to try and secure another national title rocket in Laker nation as the Grand Valley.

State sports report starts right now.

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] >> Number 9 Grand Valley State claim to 44 to 21 victory over Michigan Tech Saturday afternoon.

The UPI the Lakers improved to 3 and O overall on the season.

Joining us now to discuss games head coach Matt Mitchell coach offense.

Get 6 touchdowns.

Your defense told the other team to under 225 yards to special teams blocks.

A punt goes 5 or 6, an extra points and makes a field goal really feel like a team went on the road.

It was I think we play complementary football.

To your point, I think that was evident there on the beginning of the game.

A 100 down stalled out, pin them.

Deep got to stop on defense blocked a punt balls back on the 30 going in score.

That's all 3 phases working together to get that relief or score on the road.

And you know, I thought our kids really ready to play.

You know, it's been a better pre-game warmups that we've seen.

They're really excited to play on the road.

The upper Peninsula.

Yeah.

The energy was incredible.

We talked about it all week to bring your own energy for the first road game in 2 years to go that far to do it as a team like that.

How impressed were you with by the energy.

Your team was able to generate right off the bat.

I was you know, I think guys really locked in.

I think there's maybe you know, I love playing lumber stadium is a lot of benefits to being home with a 130 guys on the sideline entire team.

But when you go up north, we dress 64 players.

It's a smaller travel squad size.

You know, just kind of it's more compact.

It's more tight.

And when you have that type of deal.

You generate a little bit more of that fire the energy because you will have is this dispersed in regards number of people on the sideline.

I think to we kind of saw that was holding all week and we talk about we all we got.

This is probably going to be a true we all we got moment.

There's going to be a couple probably fans in regards to parents that we're going to be there and maybe some people from athletic department.

They're going to be there.

But for the most part, it was going to be us against Michigan Tech.

And I guys I think really believed in a FEMA took advantage of it.

They certainly didn't stop airing the retreat greed had 4 rushing touchdowns in this game.

Incredible performance for him.

Yeah.

Kind of a waiting for an explosive run to get those guys out.

I really think that both tree create an area kbc have really were taller summer to try to get the top and speed up early higher.

And we just haven't seen that.

Probably the first 2 games kind of the poplar run.

But to wreak really was explosive in the back into their defense has a couple times free hats and safeties cannot tracking down to not take the proper angle.

Si cover some angles and that was really big.

A big part of that else want to mention, too, that our receivers, even though we didn't have a ton of production of the receivers in regard to the passing game.

When you pop on the tape, a very unselfish performance freeing up those guys get exposed rounds because it a really good job covering up some of the secondary in the run game.

>> Yeah, that's really good points.

Us in big block, especially by Hunter eyes down the field as well.

Allowed those long runs to really pop.

Let's look to the defensive side.

You have pitched a shutout in the first happened.

It felt like everything was solid.

But there's no big get home to will arc play.

>> That really turned around in the 2nd half to put agree and I get a rush defense continues to be a really hallmark of this defense.

We did not give up a run over 12 yards again and so through 3 games with our starters.

We've only given up one run over 12 yards or rush defense really on point.

As you mentioned, they did a good job.

Really with will are trying to protect him.

Some things were still pretty efficient on 3rd down 2nd half that we were able to get more hits on the quarterback.

And I think that affected them part of that had to do probably with the score to what I want to give our team credit for that because we got them out of their comfort zone.

We've talked about that.

You and I put my head into the week about how Tech wanted to play the game.

And I think at half-time, the game kind of got away from.

And so that put them into positions where the lean on him a little more.

Consequently.

We knew that got a few more hits on the quarterback.

Look, we know football is never going to be perfect.

But the other guys in the side.

That's at a time to win 2 to up 30 to nothing.

New Tech is going to come out of the locker room, some firepower.

They get a lengthy drive the on-side kick.

Then they get a pick 6.

There was an again, another opportunity to fracture.

You have to be so proud this time on the road.

What your team kind of regroup there.

Got that stop and really needed.

Don't disagree.

You know, we come out there kick coverage on the first one was just OK, and then we have 30 panel to extend the drive to give up and exposed to play.

They score come back out to get the surprise on side.

You know, give our defense some credit, some situations on some sun change opportunities.

We got stops.

You know, a special surprise outside without their things are not looking good.

We kind of got to stop.

Pick 6 is not great.

But you give a pick 6 to go back out.

The kickoff return team get some decent field position and you go down and score.

So I would point to 2 moments, you know, sudden change opportunities for both sides of the ball.

We picked up a respond to those situations in.

Those are good things as we continue before, I don't want those events to happen.

Regards the surprise on site giving up explosive pick-six try to coach of that.

But our response is good.

We're able to kind of extend the lead back out after we given up 14 points and then the one thing that you talked about a couple of weeks ago is wanting to get some of that second unit in there.

You've got chance to do that.

This 100%.

I was really glad we did it.

You know, I I wanted to throw the football towards the end of the game.

Just because we had our tire to unit out there.

I just don't want to go into a shell and run run at Ponte want to run our offense and defense.

And so those are some Bible and experiences and believe me, both sides of the ball.

The backups didn't play great, which is OK, allows us to come in at a public coach that stuff up on Sunday.

We spent as much time watching the last clip as we did the first clip in our our preparation postgame as we start to look at how to get this team and could be an improvement because we do play a physical sport.

If you want to extend our season.

There's a chance injuries.

A lot of those guys are very valuable members of our team.

Absolutely.

Well to big win on the road.

Congratulations on that.

You got to go right back on the road.

Next, we're going to preview that next.

Okay.

We'll get.

Thank you.

Right back to preview.

The CLIA road matchup at Saginaw Valley state of the Grand Valley State sport report continues on WGN [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] GSU football hit the road again this week to begin glee act play at Saginaw Valley state Mitch another road game back to back weeks.

Another top invited to go to and now conference play begins.

Yes, kicking off black play.

I just, you know, been married 10 years.

Every one of these has been emotional.

You know, it's been very, very intense.

They've always feel like to come down.

The last possession the 2019 with jumped.

I'll leave.

Then they got back to us.

We had a kind of a red zone.

Stopped ended up securing the win.

You know, they're have got off to a start where they've had some really close games that are really close loss at a top 25 blue state and then they took it to Farris up at big rapids and almost pulled that off up there.

So they're 2, 2, in their 2 losses are to top 25 teams that really very close led by Casey Williams are exposed to receiver who we saw up close and personal hurt us little bit 2019 and check killer art.

And I think the thing that we're seeing on tape.

Sir, defense has improved.

Their defense has really been holding down so far in the 2021 season.

Kind of like one thing you stress ball control in the seems to be a very opportune IC 50 fence.

I imagine that's going to be even more of a message to your team this week.

No doubt, as we've talked about, we have not been great on the turnover margin.

When you look at Saginaw Valley state, I think, you know, they've got 14 turnovers of their 4 games.

Generated 5 fumbles up.

But first, a 2, 2, interceptions at 7, 1, game.

So they're really on the positive side of the turnover margin.

We have not been.

So I think that's going to be really in a key statistic.

Dow things go because their defenses fly around, does create those opportunities for their offense based off turnovers for you on the defensive side of the ball to his a team that wants to establish the run game.

But you have that very strong front 7.

I imagine this is another game where the rotation of that defensive line going to be I think will be key and we can't let their tailback time.

Scott has picked it up for the last couple games at a couple good rushing performances against Saginaw Valley state at Wayne state last week.

We've got to make sure that the run game is not establish because a lot of things they do off of play action and R P O's.

And so we can let the run get going.

And, you know, I think it's important that if they're going to pass the ball gets pressure on the quarterback.

And if we can do that with just a 4 man rush that provide some advantages are back in.

I'm not have to bring extra guys.

So again, our defensive line is deep.

It's healthy and we've got to continue to lean on those guys to lead the way for Russia in pass defense.

Obviously this is a much closer trip than last week.

But is there a war of attrition as you go on the road multiple weeks in a row.

You know, I just think this is a little bit of a challenge this week will be that we do have travel squad restrictions within the glee act.

And so, you know that probably more than anything impacts.

Our special teams steps, you know, put some more pressure on some guys are playing offense defense to go out and takes a lot of reps on special teams to do so last week travel more than allotment kind of got a pair that down this week and then but you know what, I think that trip is not a bad trip.

I think our guys who are very used to it.

And, you know, our last 2 road trips are about Boston, Georgia into hold Michigan.

So I think the 2 and a half hour right over the side.

State won't feels bad for the guys.

Nice easy.

John, I appreciate it as well.

We're looking forward to getting over the side on this week.

Best of luck coach the ethics logic.

Don't go away.

The Grand Valley State sport probably back right after this.

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] The bsu men's cross country is already making waves in division to cross country rankings and has their eyes set on getting a chance of another national championship.

Tom Cleary has the story.

>> After years of coming close to Grand Valley men's cross country program finally broke through to win a team national championship in 2018 this year.

The Lakers look to be a threat again in Division.

2 after racing to victory recently in the Spartan Invitational in East Lansing where they can sign their Big 10 host to a second place finish.

It was great to get the win.

>> But that was our best performance of the year.

Then in the season.

That could be that great.

So we still got a lot of work to do and a lot of improvements to make in our student athletes see that and understand that that will be our focus moving forward.

Nice to get that W now we get back to work and try to keep making progress.

>> In the win in Michigan State Lakers standouts Tanner chana and teammate.

Isaac hurting finished second and 3rd with 4 Lakers finishing in the top 10 chana is a holdover from the 2018 D 2 title squad.

It's the MSU result shows his side could be just as good or better and the team that took the National crown 3 years ago.

>> I wouldn't say we're not surprised to win, but we're definitely pleased with the overall result and knowing that Michigan State always going to be an amazing team, obviously in.

Yeah, it was it was really fun and be enjoyed in.

>> And that strike the ball rolling here.

So we 7 and these individuals are going to toe the line at the NC championship at the end of the season.

But everyone has to be on the same page with the same mindset, the same focus in the same goals to accomplish our goal to compete.

Ultimately capture NC championship at the end of the year.

>> While high-performance finishes are nothing new for both the men's and women's squads.

Janice is Grande.

Valley's racers are still benefiting from the example said that were covid by Zach panic.

The individual runner-up in 2018 is now racing professionally and competed in the 10,000 meter finals at the U.S. Olympic trials in June.

>> He was kind of the first person in my life that ever showed me like, hey, it's great to have dreams.

It's great to do all that talk about it.

But use the first person to like step up and really just do it.

>> Well.

Jenna freely admits he's only one of the large group is capable of winning a big race is season.

The emphasis is a Grand Valley for everyone remains on the group as another team title this fall with book in the careers of Tam are hurting and other veterans were determined to climb to the top of the NCAA podium.

Again, just before Thanksgiving in Florida.

The Grand Valley State, sports report.

I'm Tom Cleary.

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] >> GSU women soccer sweeps another weekend as they continue their undefeated season so far beating Parkside and promotes West over the weekend.

The Lakers now for knowingly at play and 8 know overall.

Joining us now to talk about his team's head coach Jim Conlan and coach after 4 straight games on the road.

You finally get to come home and play Parkside Friday night.

How to feel.

Be back home.

>> It's great to be home and into levels.

Hive great fan base.

Just nice to plan our homepage.

>> You got certainly got off on the right foot.

A ton of shots in that 1st half.

But was the key to getting that offensive combination going early on.

>> Yeah.

I think I we were just trying to stay on the front foot, put some combination plays and get the ball into the attacking spaces and, you know, led to a lot of shots.

>> You know, if you guys really good in goal.

And you know that that Parkside teams one, that's not going to panic in their defensive Thursday.

New.

You're going to have some pretty incredible combinations to finish, right.

>> Yeah.

They they obviously were very organized defense of the great net Minder in the net.

And we're just trying to, you know, crack their defense while putting together some chemistry and connections with ours.

>> It's great to get a goal off a set piece.

Of course you get that foul deep in the attacking 3rd.

Another great ball from Cape around the stats upsets for that goal.

>> Yeah.

Kids been doing a good job with her service as assessment on the backside of finish.

And so we just continue to try to find ways to win whether it's on set pieces are in the run of play.

>> And it's interesting that the center back sets up.

You're holding mid for your gold.

They're just yeah, the offensive day as well as that something that you've been focusing on that you're getting those defenders more involved in the offensive game plan.

>> Now.

I think we've got a bunch of women with lots of different gifts.

And we're just trying to put people in positions of success.

I think you could see several different people taking services.

And you can see several different people on the backside of it.

That connection just happened to work that day.

>> A 2.

Nothing score lines a little bit misleading because it had over 40 shots, a few ball hit the post.

A few balls hit the crossbar that something you talked about it all with the team.

They look at the final result.

>> Yeah.

I think you're always looking to change the scoreboard.

But we're also looking to see the opportunities that we created.

And I think we're doing a good job of getting this spaces.

I think we took this weekend as a learning moment and hopefully will continue to grow moving forward.

The time that our sport, the ball just doesn't find the back of the net.

But we're happy to get a result and a shutout win.

>> No question.

While the stay at home didn't last too long had to go right back on the road on Sunday across to put to a Purdue Northwest.

Another team that's going to try to sit in play that defensive style.

And again, you guys had to jump right on front foot.

From what I saw, it looks like the wind was playing a pretty big factor in that game on Sunday at the wind was pretty one direction on that matching it was going to favor.

Whichever team had at their back.

>> And Purdue Northwest, I believe won the coin flip and we just had to play with the half.

We had it in half.

We didn't have.

>> And yes, it 3 goals in the 1st half getting the goal so early and that once seemed like it was key to let everybody kind of relax because after all those close chances on Friday to see to see one go in early had to be healthy.

>> Yeah.

I think in soccer you said first one going into it that everyone can settle into the game plan continue to play.

And in a very composed finish.

Sometimes when you that wide open you rush it.

But a great composed finish by a leash.

>> Yeah.

Lisa had 3 goals on the weekend.

All of them were screamers.

The first one she had on Sunday was into the top shelf in the last one.

That was another great combination.

It seems like every goal you guys scored this week had the double A sister could have been given a double assist again, going back to that combination style you've been talking about.

>> Yeah.

And again, I think it leaves is a great example of what we're trying to do as a team when the moment presents itself like you did this weekend for Lee.

She buried it.

And in that moment going to present itself for a lot of different women on our team.

And we're just hoping they're prepared for that moment.

And he's had a great weekend for us.

>> Obviously goals are the thing you talk about the game is often one of the midfield who was somebody that maybe stood out to you this weekend that we couldn't tell just from looking at the box score.

>> Yeah, I think we've got a lot of unsung heroes in that midfield getting guard back when it was helpful in there, you know, sass and kind of that defensive minded midfield back line helps us out there that staff at a nice weekend coming off the bench.

But again, you're looking at lots of different players that we cycled through there.

You know, nags been fantastic in their candy has been fantastic.

We moved.

I'm Katie and Kennedy in there for a little bit yesterday.

So we have a lot of unsung heroes that are buying into what's being asked of them and really proud of.

>> That's awesome, especially going into a tough week.

That's coming up this week ago on the road to a really good northwood team that host Ferris state.

The Big One at home.

What can we expect this weekend.

>> But we know we're going to see 2 very good opponent.

2 coaches that will have their teams highly organized and were going to try to have a great training week in preparation for that.

We're excited, too had 3 training days at home.

It's been a long time with the long road trips are Thursday's have to use a turn in travel day.

So to have that three-day training week like we had early in the season.

They can be big for us.

>> Well, get off to a great start.

8 know a couple of big ones this week.

Looking forward to coach.

Thanks for time.

Thanks for having me.

We'll be right back with more on the Grand Valley.

State sports report.

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] >> Grand Valley state women's golf finished first at the 12th annual Guild of club liquor fall invite over the weekend in Allendale the Lakers sale their way through the first round with a score of 300 and were able to defend their lead in round 2, the Laker women all finished within the top 15 and took first and second place with all of the Dino leading the way followed by Julia Sanchez.

But you know, hit 4 birdies in the first round to secure her place in the top and not to more on the front.

9 of round 2 to claim first place Sanchez scored the lowest in round 2 for the Lakers after she made 4 birdies throughout the 18 holes also making the top 10 were Megan Mirren and 5th and alivia Stahl tied for 8th.

>> Really good day.

Ladies, you know, we finished 3 in the top Freeman topped by all of our players.

A top well at 6 players in the top.

And so really good day for the Lakers.

A program where currently ranked like for the nation.

So when it gets them hundreds a top official this afternoon [MUSIC] really proud of this group.

They're young group.

But they've been working hard.

>> The Lakers are competing at the bulldog fall invited their state University today and tomorrow.

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] >> Laker volleyball split the road matches this week falling to Ferris on Thursday.

Then securing a double against Davenport on Friday.

The next now to talk about the game as head coach Jason Johnson and coach and Hunter week on the road.

A little bit of a a shorter trip for you this week.

But nonetheless still continuing that marathon road trip to start the season.

>> We talked about early on in the season that this was this was the path we had to take.

We had 4 weeks in the road to start off the season.

Some longer trips to having to go to the U P having to go to Colorado.

So we knew it was going to be difficult.

But we understood that this was just the path we have to take.

>> You go to fare state to start this week.

One of the top us in virus.

Definitely in the league, probably in the region to play and you take them to 5 sets had that lead through 3 sets.

Just felt like maybe Theres at the end.

That environment got to be a little bit too much.

Yeah, I think so.

I I've said a couple different times.

We never got into a rhythm in that match.

You know, it was.

>> It was hard fought even from the first set, we couldn't find a good rhythm for the match.

We couldn't figure out the adjustments we needed to make.

You know, I thought there's quite well.

But I also thought the environment created some issues that our kids were had a hard time dealing with.

>> There's had 20 blocks and that matches seem like their defense really give you guys some pictures of something they were doing was maybe the environment.

It also kind of combine to make that will place a combination of both.

I think.

>> Our passing wasn't as Good as it had been.

We're up north.

And so we're getting a little predictable with their offense.

I think for us as a lot of Lancome their team.

It was one of my concerns going in was, you know, northern intact don't have the same weights were able to utilize our spur offense.

But I thought there's just a great job of knowing what we want to do.

Serving took us out of our rhythm a little bit more made us a little more predictable offensive play.

>> We've talked the last 3 weeks about the resilience of this team that we saw on Friday to turn around and get the victory they did at Davenport, another tough environment student center.

They get loud.

They're on top of the especially when Grande Valley come to town.

You can tell that by it really, really well.

Yeah.

Again, right.

>> Coming out the way we did, especially after a disappointing loss to Pitt Ferris.

And really that rivalry last.

So you have a little bit of an emotional letdown.

You're hopeful that your kids turn around again the next day and they did.

We got off to a good start.

Sets wanted to I thought Davenport made a nice adjustment in set 3, 4, gave us some problems were able to finish it off.

>> Allie Thompson was unbelievable in this game to hit 4 o 5.17 kills for 18 and a half points.

Some unbelievable for your senior.

When you needed about.

Yeah.

And.

>> I spoke with their head coach after the match and he talked about just how they tried to take away a couple of our players.

And I spoke to the strength of our team.

We have 5 kids at any given night, any one of them can go off for good stats and that night against port.

That was alleys night.

She played great defensively.

Really good from the service line and obviously offensive.

We should let our team.

>> Yeah.

Obviously Abby Graham with the weekend she had last week was going to garner a lot of attention this week to see other players like Allie, like Sarah, like Lisa step up the way they didn't really give you guys some depth there, the debt and that's why said it's.

>> It's going to be hard to stop us offensively because of the depth that we I think we have a lot of those or again, it's how well can we say in system and keep our offense rolling vs. >> When we become one-dimensional, it makes a little more difficult for the person task, but that is Rachel Jack way.

She's been a center now for 4 weeks.

What have you seen in her growth as a center, especially now that you're trying to get this buried offense kind of off the ground.

>> Yeah, I think bridges done a great job.

We've asked her to kind of put a lot on her shoulders as far as decision making setting up the offense.

I'm trying not to screw things out for but allowed her to grow as a as a person is a center.

And I think it was a little stressful early on trying to figure everything out.

But I think she's getting better with that.

I think your decision-making was good execution still has to get a little bit better consistently.

But overall, I think she's done a great job this year.

>> The number that really jumped out at me from that Davenport.

4 blocks soul, which is just incredible numbered for the individual effort along the front lines the and again it.

>> We're going to go, I think is our front row goes with our blocking in our back row.

It still underdeveloped still needs to get better with what we're doing.

But I think our front row blocking with our length of our size with the ability.

We have to slow down teams that that's been a focal point of ours for the first 4 weeks.

We come out of pretty good 7, 5, 3, 1, in the conference through that marathon road trip.

Now you can breathe because you get to come back home this weekend.

You got Parkside Purdue Northwest just how excited her kids to be a very excited, obviously.

But I think even more so we have a full week of preparation.

We know with all the travel we've done.

We took some extra days off to try to get that not only academically but but even physically hield from all the travel.

We're doing so gave a couple days off over the weekend playing the early games last week and now playing late this week.

We have a long week of preparation.

So I think they're excited to be at home, obviously in front of their home crowd to play.

But I think even more so the fact we can get back to work and start hopefully getting better and then Parkside project with Westar teams to come to town.

They're going to try to out work.

It has to be ready on that side effort was well, yeah.

I think both teams do a great job of just competing.

And I think it's all about what we're going to be on our side of the net.

How can we maintain our offense.

What are the changes we can do defensively and can we impose our will on the other teams that are across the map.

>> We're looking for to finally getting on the Grande Valley sports network looking to finally see you at home live and in person we can't wait coach great start to the season.

Good luck this week.

Thanks for your time.

Appreciate it.

Thanks, Jack.

Don't touch that remote.

We'll be right back with more from the Grand Valley.

State sports report right after this.

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] That's all the time we have this week on the Grand Valley.

State sports report PSU football hits the road to begin Billy act play at Saginaw Valley state this weekend.

Game time is set for 02:00PM in University center GSU women soccer is back on the road to begin the week taking on North with this Friday at 02:30PM.

But then return home for a 01:00PM match against their estate on Sunday afternoon.

>> GSU volleyball gets their first home action of the season.

They're slated to take on Parkside on Saturday at 01:00PM, then turn around and take on Purdue Northwest to wrap up the weekend on Sunday at 01:00PM for upcoming games as well as live broadcast of every Laker athletic program, visit GSU Lakers dot com to see more of this show it to our youtube channel at youtube.

Dot com.

Slash WGVU 35 making it the subscribe button to get updated video highlights all along for the entire crew here at WGVU.

I'm Jake.

We have a great week of Laker nation.

And as always, anger out.

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC]