The Grand Valley State University women’s soccer team experienced some growing pains offensively in a 0-0 draw with Davenport University on Friday night, which came as no surprise to head coach David DiIanni.

“We’re not going to replace All-Americans immediately,” DiIanni said. “It’s just not going to happen right away. With such a young roster, especially up front, there are going to be moments that are pleasing and moments that leave us searching for answers.”

GVSU failed to reach the back of the net despite an early offensive surge in the first half, and was ultimately shut out by a Davenport squad that proved to be rather stingy in their own zone. GVSU is now 1-0-1 through two games of its five-game spring schedule.

“In the first 20-25 minutes we had great rhythm offensively,” he said. “It should have been 3-0 or 4-0 but we couldn’t find that same spark tonight. We need our forwards to be more consistent with their work ethic and to understand what it takes to be dangerous.”

The NSCAA Midwest Region Coach of the Year said his team will particularly work on finishing during its final seven practices of the spring, and if the Lakers hope to make it back to the national semifinals, they’ll certainly need to fill the shoes of Ashley Botts and Kayla Addison.

The pair of senior forwards produced more than 42 percent of the team’s overall scoring last season, creating a void that will likely be filled by underclassmen in the fall. GVSU’s defense, on the other hand, has not missed a beat.

“We’ve been consistent throughout the whole spring,” said junior Taylor Callen. “If we play well back there, it will make things easier for the forwards and mids who aren’t quite as experienced.”

The team’s experience on the back end proved to be suffocating for the second time in as many games, posting another shut out after blanking Loyola University 1-0 on March 24.

The team will also be faced with the challenge of replacing Daktronics, Inc. and NSCAA All-America first team senior goalie Chelsea Parise, who set the Division II shutout record last September.

DiIanni hopes that senior leadership from the likes of Callen and junior Autumn Jacobs will make a difference when the fall season starts.

“An important thing is coming out to every practice and playing as hard as we can,” Jacobs said. “We just need to set the tone and let the younger players know what it takes to win games. Leading by example is the biggest thing.”

The team will travel to take part in a four-team event at the University of Notre Dame on Saturday. The event will be between the Fighting Irish, the University of Iowa and the Indiana University-Purdue University of Fort Wayne.

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