Over the weekend, the Grand Valley State University Division II hockey club (17-2-1) extended their winning streak, which now stands at 16, and also received a wake up call that they will continue to reflect on for the second half of their season.

Friday brought the Lakers to Ann Arbor, Mich,, home of the University of Michigan Wolverines, a team the Lakers defeated 5-1 early in the season. However, this game was not quite as easy for the Lakers.

The first period was “one of the ugliest periods we’ve played all season,” junior Craig Marrett said. The Lakers only managed to get three shots on net and the Wolverines countered with a goal, ending the period 0-1. The Lakers came back determined, and let off two quick goals in the first 10 minutes of the second, which the Wolverines again countered with a single goal. The Lakers pressed their offensive advantage in the third, scoring the final point of the game, holding on to their lead until the final buzzer, which ended the game, 3-2.

While the game was another victory for the Lakers, it was more difficult than it should have been, something the team sees as a “wakeup call.”

“We got a slow start, and we came out cocky,” Marrett said. “We’re now realizing that every game is going to be challenge; we have a target on our back. The further we get into this winning streak, the harder it is going to be for us to take teams lightly. Every team is going to want to knock us off.”

The Lakers carried their momentum home with them for a Saturday game against Robert Morris University (Ill.), which the team won in an 8-0 shutout.

After five back-to-back goals in the first and two more in the second, the Lakers resorted to defensive play, scoring one more goal in the third to close out the game.

“Friday, we learned that we can’t be comfortable with our win streak,” said freshman Brad Wilhelm. “We just have to get out there and play the game that we are capable of playing. If we can do that, we can do amazing things.”

The Lakers play two consecutive games on the road against Northern Illinois University on the Dec. 16 and 17, but after this weekend, the team feels as if they are prepared for whatever is thrown at them.

“We have some practices before then, so we’ll go in and work on a few things and we’ll come back and play our best,” Wilhelm said. “We won’t be playing like a team that’s comfortable with a winning streak, we’re going to go out there like any team, and I think we’ll see good things.”

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