The Grand Valley State women’s soccer team swept the weekend series with a 6-0 win against Northwood Friday, Oct. 21 and a 4-0 win over Saginaw Valley State Sunday, Oct. 23. In doing so, the Lakers clinched the GLIAC regular season title for the 12^th straight season.

In the first game, midfielder Tara Lierman opened the scoring for the Lakers by cleaning up a rebound after a shot from Gabriella Mencotti.

Fewer than 10 minutes later, forward Kendra Stauffer roofed a shot from the right side of the box to give the Lakers an early two-goal lead.

GVSU was held scoreless the rest of the half, but Lierman scored again early in the second half to ignite the offense.

“I was just trying to get in the right place at the right time,” Lierman said. “My second goal, I saw (Stauffer) get out wide and beat her player, I just made a run to the top of the box to hit it home.”

GVSU has been looking for consistency in the midfielder position all season, but Lierman showed that she can fill that role the team is looking for.

“She was keen on the ball, made good decisions, put herself in front of goal and made a great extra effort on her second goal of the match with a 55-yard run diagonally to the far post to find that final ball,” said GVSU head coach Jeff Hosler.

After Lierman’s second goal, the Lakers scored twice more in a two-minute window. Marti Corby finished on a pass into the box, and Jayma Martin found a free ball in the box and fired it into the net.

“At this time of the year, we talk all the time about putting our best performance forward,” Hosler said. “When you have a solid result like tonight, the challenge is to make sure that you turn around and match that the next time out.”

The Lakers followed up the win with another shutout against rival SVSU. Mencotti initiated the scoring for GVSU with an unassisted goal for her 21st goal of the season.

“We were on our heels a little bit the first three or four minutes,” Hosler said. “They were the more aggressive team, and when we scored the game settled down pretty quick.”

GVSU continued to apply the pressure with two more goals in the first half, both scored by Stauffer.

“(Stauffer) did a really good job of finding penetration off the ball and reading the game well to decide what channels to get into,” Hosler said. “When she does that, our midfielders and other forwards do a good job of recognizing it and finding her at the right moments.”

In the second half, the Lakers’ offense stalled production, but in the final 10 minutes Martin scored with a shot low and to the right of the goalie to seal the game.

The shutout win extended GVSU’s shutout streak in conference play to 10 games. The Lakers have not allowed a goal in their last six games.

GVSU will have its final regular season game Friday, Oct. 28 at Ferris State at 7 p.m.