Tech football fell to No. 6 Grand Valley State on Friday night

Houghton, Mich – The Michigan Tech football team fell 2-0 to No. 6 Grand Valley State on Friday night in front of a record 758 fans at Kerley Stadium.

The matchup was the Huskies’ third straight against a top-25 opponent, most recently with a tie against No. 22 Northern Michigan (Sept. 25) and a 1-0 loss to No. 7 Grand Valley State (Sept. 25).

“They are defending national champions and are on a strong run now,” said head coach Bulut Ozturk. “Our girls fought hard the whole game, there’s always confidence and that collective defense.

“We felt like we had a 12th man with a pep band and there was a lot of love and support from the community and for our girls to feel that love and get that kind of support and they were a little disappointed. Don’t give the results to the fans but we gave it our all and as a coach that’s all you can ask for.”

The Lakers (9-1-2, 7-0-1 GLIAC) dominated in shots and corner kicks, firing shots on target with two landings on three corner kicks.

But a stellar defensive effort by the Huskies (3-6-3, 1-4-3 GLIAC) kept MTU in the game for the first 45 minutes, with several free throws and corner kicks coming safely out of the Black and Gold goal.

After going scoreless at halftime, the Lakers came out of halftime with a more physical offensive game.

Grand Valley State posted 3 shots before getting past the Huskies’ goalkeeper in the 57th minute. Sophia Morgan ignited the offense and crossed the ball on the right, finding Mackenzie Jones on the left and punching the ball home.

The Lakers scored four more times before taking advantage of the Huskies’ defensive advantage in the 89th minute, posting their second goal of the game from Taylor Reed to seal the win.

The best attacking opportunity for the black and gold came from new player Alivia Sanom two minutes after entering the game, she headed in a cross from the right side, but she tried to find the goal, but it brought the crowd joy.

Of note, Grand Valley State had 14 possessions, 6 shots on goal, and 11 corner kicks for the game.

Senior goalie Gracie Vanlangevelde finished with six saves for MTU.

The Huskies return to action on Sunday, when they welcome Davenport to Kerley Stadium at noon.