COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The No. 1 Grand Valley State Lakers have reached the Division II National Championship game for the third season in a row and 11^th time in program history. They will face off with a familiar foe in this season's finale; the Saint Rose Golden Knights on Saturday (Dec. 11) at 2 ET/12 MT at Switchbacks FC Stadium.
 
This will be the fifth meeting between the Lakers and Golden Knights, all of which have come at the Final Four. The Lakers are 2-1-1 in the series history, including a 3-2 win in the 2019 semifinal en route to the championship. These two sides have met in the National Championship once before, a 2-1 win by the Golden Knights in 2011.
 
The Lakers are 23-1-2 this season after a 3-0 win over Lenoir-Rhyne in Thursday's semifinal. By just qualifying for the championship game, the Lakers have extended some eye-popping streaks.
 
GVSU is playing on the final possible day for the fourth straight season; National Championship games in 2018, 2019 and 2021 plus a GLIAC Tournament championship in the 2021 spring after COVID-19 cancelled the NCAA championship season.
 
The Lakers also make it eight straight fall seasons of either winning a national title or having their season ended by the eventual champion. Seven of those seasons have seen the Lakers in the championship game, excluding 2017; when they lost in the Elite Eight to the eventual undefeated national champion, Central Missouri.
 
GVSU ranks sixth in the nation in scoring offense and lead the country in total goals, assists and points while ranking second in points per game. Four Lakers rank in the top-20 nationally in assists; Kennedy Bearden, Taylor Reid, Cecilia Steinwascher and Caitie Baron while Greta DeLoach ranks third in the country with 20 goals.
 
Defensively, the Lakers are third in Division II in shutout percentage after their 18^th of the season and fourth in a row on Thursday. Individually, Kendall Robertson now has enough minutes played to qualify and ranks second nationally in goals-against average and she has eight of the Lakers' shutouts in her true freshman season. Senior Abby Willerer earned unanimous All-America honors for her play, poise and leadership at the critical center back position.
 
Saint Rose is 18-1-4 this season and haven't lost since October. After a national semifinal appearance in 2019, they were not in the United Soccer Coaches' preseason poll, but quickly proved they had plenty of gas still in the tank to make another run. They swept the NE-10 regular season and tournament titles, earning a one-seed in the regional and downed Dallas Baptist, 2-1, in the second semifinal Thursday.
 
The Golden Knights have outscored their opponents 57-11 this season and rank third in the nation in goals-against average behind one of the best goalkeepers in the country in Marika Laurendeau. She has made 78 saves with an .876 save-percentage and 0.45 goals-against average while posting eight shutouts. The Golden Knights have surrendered multiple goals in a game just twice this season.
 
Mia Klammer is the leading scorer for Saint Rose, netting 13 goals with six assists. She's the only Golden Knight with double-digit goals this season, but four players have at least five assists and a separate collective of four have at least five goals and 18 different players scoring at least once.
 
Two teams familiar with each other and the game's biggest stage meet with the ultimate prize on the line Saturday. Grand Valley State already holds the record for national titles but, in the first year of a new chapter, they look to put their season-long catchphrase, 'proud, but not satisfied' to rest. At least for 2021.