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Heavy lies the crown.
 
Defending a national championship comes with an onerous weight and enormous target, something the Grand Valley State women's soccer team is learning this season. Although the Lakers won back-to-back NCAA Championships in 2009 and 2010, none of the players on this year's roster were a part of that run.
 
GVSU made winning a national title look easy last season, reeling off 24 consecutive wins after a season-opening draw, and, more impressively, not trailing for a single second.
 
With two losses this year, including last Friday's 1-0 setback against Ohio Dominican—which ended the program's Division II-record 69-match home unbeaten streak—adversity has made its way to Allendale.
 
Thankfully, first-year assistant coach Kristen Walker has been through this before. The four-time All-GLIAC First Team midfielder helped GVSU win those back-to-back championships. She knows all about the obstacles these Lakers are trying to overcome.
 
"There definitely was a weight that, naturally, we put on ourselves; coming off a national championship and seeking another one, but recognizing how hard it is to do it back to back and that the drive and obstacles you overcome to get there are entirely different," explains Walker. "(The challenges) those two years were entirely different from each other.
 
"We are starting to come to some of those realizations. Things that may have come easy last year are not going to come easily this year; it's a new team, a new year, but with the same goal. That goal can still be achieved, but with different outcomes."
 
Following the club's first GLIAC defeat in 30 matches—tied for the sixth-longest conference winning streak in Division II history—the players called a team meeting. Roughly 24 hours later, GVSU bounced back with a strong 4-0 victory over Ashland. Only time will tell if the Lakers truly took something away from the unexpected loss, but head coach Jeff Hosler believes it has the potential to make a positive impact.
 
"It's still so fresh in everyone's mind, so it is difficult to really evaluate that. But I like the ownership the group took, calling for a meeting," he says. "It made everyone in the program very aware that anyone can beat you and that you have to want to win, and want to play your best. If you don't do that, winning isn't easy."
 
Even with the loss, the Lakers still control their own destiny. At 8-1-0 in league play, wins in their final three matches will be enough for a 10^th consecutive GLIAC crown.
 
This weekend, however, brings a pair of streaking opponents: Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech.
 
Behind the stellar play of sophomore Paula Hafner, Northern Michigan has won its last four matches. The combined score of those wins: 19-0. Hafner has seven goals and an assist in the ongoing winning streak.
 
"She is a player that, offensively, we haven't seen the likes of for a while," says Hosler. "The difficult thing is that she makes everyone around her better, so you can't just focus on her."
 
Then there's Sunday's (Oct. 26) tilt with Michigan Tech, the only GLIAC club without a loss. GVSU has won all seven meetings in this budding rivalry, but this could be the series' most even matchup to date.
 
"From what I've heard, the rivalry with Michigan Tech and Grand Valley State is pretty intense. There will obviously be some emotion on both sides come Sunday," says Hosler. "We are hoping to do the work this weekend to put us in position to go out and get back a championship (next Saturday)."
 
Kick off for Friday's (Oct. 24) match at Northern Michigan is set for 4 p.m. The No. 10 Lakers face Michigan Tech at 12 p.m. on Sunday.