Seven Straight

The Lake Superior State hockey team shut out Notre Dame 4-0 Saturday in Game one of a Central Collegiate Hockey Association series. Junior goaltender Jeff Jakaitis earned his third shutout win of the season, and the Lakers increased their unbeaten streak to seven games and moved into third place in the league standings. Despite being the two least-penalized teams in the CCHA, Lake Superior State (10-5-4, 6-5-2 CCHA) and Notre Dame (5-11-1, 3-6-1 CCHA) were penalized nine times in the first period alone. At 8:46, LSSU's Derek A. Smith scored his second goal of the season during a 5-on-3 power-play advantage. Barnabas Birkeland and Troy Schwab assisted on the goal. With six seconds left on LSSU's fourth power-play opportunity, Colin Nicholson scored to give the Lakers a 2-0 lead. Kory Scoran and captain Steve McJannet assisted on Nicholson's fourth goal of the season, which came at 10:30 of the opening period. Irish defender Tom Sawatske left the game at 16:40 of the first period after receiving a five-minute major penalty for hitting from behind and a 10-minute game misconduct penalty. Less than a minute into the major penalty Derek R. Smith was penalized two minutes for tripping, taking the game to four-on-four. Referee Mark Wilkins called for a penalty shot, but Notre Dame declined the penalty shot in order to have the Laker penalty take two minutes off of Lake Superior's five-minute power play. Notre Dame received its second power play of the game when Alex Dunn was sent to the penalty box for a delay of game penalty after accidentally knocking into the Irish net. The Irish were unable to convert during the 4-on-3 advantage. Entering the second period, the Lakers were still on the power play from Sawatske's major penalty. Dunn increased his team's lead to three by scoring 30 seconds into the period. Nathan Ward drew the assist as LSSU was 3-for-8 on the power play for the game. Senior forward Mike Adamek scored the Lakers' first even-strength goal of the game at 12:01 of the third period, giving LSSU a 4-0 lead. Schwab and Josh Sim assisted on the goal. Lake Superior State out-shot Notre Dame, 30-14. Notre Dame was scoreless on four power play opportunities. Jakaitis was named the Perani Cup first star of the game. Derek A. Smith earned a second star and Adamek a third star. The Lakers and the Fighting Irish will meet again Sunday afternoon at 2:05 p.m. at the Joyce Center.