There is a first time for everything.

For the Grand Valley State University men’s club soccer team, coming up short of making the national tournament the past few years has been heartbreaking. Never giving up though, this year’s squad accomplished something no other team before them had.

A phone call to GVSU head coach Jeff Crooks late Monday night let him know his team qualified for the 2012 NIRSA NCCS National Soccer Championships. The Lakers will be one of 24 teams competing in the championships, taking place Nov. 15-17 at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex in Memphis, Tenn.

“It says a lot for the players,” Crooks said. “I am so happy right now I can’t even tell you how pleased I am. It is just so exciting.”

Their accomplishments this season earned the Lakers an at-large bid to the national tournament. With the country broken-up into six regions, the top-three teams from each region automatically qualify for the tournament. Then, based on the season’s results, six at-large teams are given a bid to round out the field.

“They definitely took a look at our scores, that we are up there, competing against the best teams and beating some of the best teams,” said junior defenseman Alec Lanigan, a team captain and also the club president. “We may not have won the whole thing, but we are in one of the toughest conferences in the nation.”

GVSU competes in the Midwest Alliance Soccer Conference. The league is split into four divisions with the Lakers a member of the Central Division. With an overall record of 15-4 this year, and 8-2 in the conference, the team finished third behind Western Michigan University and Michigan State University. Other top teams in the conference include the University of Illinois, the University of Cincinnati and Ohio State University.

“We have a lot of seniors on the team and it will be our last time playing competitively,” said senior midfielder Dan Radosevich, also a team captain. “Most of us have been playing since we were little, so to be one of the 24 teams to get to the national tournament, it is a real cool accomplishment.”

Thanks to facilities like the Kelly Family Sports Center, as well as the turf athletic fields, GVSU has the resources in place to prepare and challenge defending champion Weber State University for the title.

“Compared to every other school we play, you can go from U-M and Michigan State, we have by far the best support and the best facilities in the country,” Crooks said. “That is a testament to the school in general and how supportive they are of every program. We are always very appreciative of that.”

The Lakers will learn of the pool they are in and their first opponent when the schedule is released on Nov. 8. All teams have two games on Thursday, Nov. 15, with action starting at 8 a.m. The National Championship final will be played on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 5 p.m.
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