The Grand Valley State men’s rugby club isn’t going to fly under the radar of any team in 2015. The undefeated Lakers have been vocal about their talent, and, on the field, have yet to falter.

GVSU is expecting every team’s best shot, but so far it hasn’t mattered. The Lakers improved to 4-0 with a dominating 39-0 win over Oakland at home on Saturday.

Last time the Lakers matched up with Oakland, GVSU pulled out a hard-fought 27-10 victory.

This time around, on a crisp, wet October Saturday during Family Weekend in Allendale, things were different.

In a clean match, the Lakers quickly jumped out to a five point lead thanks to an early try. Soon after, they scored again, and nailed the kick for two extra points to surge ahead 12-0.

“Play boring, take it slow. We can have fun later on in the game,” said GVSU head coach John Mullett.

Throughout the game, Mullett emphasized the importance of defense.

“If (Oakland) scores 10 on us, (my players) know that they’ll be running sprints for the next two weeks.”

After a little longer, the Lakers broke through the Golden Grizzlies defense, taking the ball from the sideline to the center of the field on the try – an advantage for the scoring team, as it makes the ensuing kick after the try much easier to make. GVSU converted, and brought the score to 19-0.

Once again the Lakers punched in a slow, methodical drive to run the score up even more. By the half, the lead had inflated to 29-0.

The Laker sideline was nothing but smiles during halftime. GVSU held the advantage possession, scrums, and tempo.

“We’ve essentially been attacking the entire game,” Mullett said at halftime.

GVSU punched in two more scores after the half to ice the game and seal the score at 39-0. After the win, the Lakers have outscored opponents 208-17.

“We had to come out and put on a show, prove that nobody in this conference can play with us. We did that,” said senior Dylan Bergbower. “We’re not going to settle for anything less than a national championship.”

The game got sloppy at times, but that was merely an afterthought after looking at the scoreboard once the final whistle blew.

“The score was a good one, especially against Oakland. We could’ve put more on the board, but today wasn’t about offense, it was all about defense. I’m not even slightly upset,” Mullett said.

The Lakers will continue their hunt for a national title with a home match Oct. 17 in the season’s second matchup against Saginaw Valley State.