Lake Superior to play NMU in Home-and-Home

Lake Superior State University (15-9-6, 11-9-4 CCHA), who split with the University of Michigan last weekend in Ann Arbor will play a home and home series with Northern Michigan University (16-14-2, 10-12-2 CCHA). NMU is coming off of being swept in Omaha last weekend, who had swept LSSU the previous weekend. LSSU will start the weekend at home, and then travel to Marquette to finish off the home-and-home series at the Berry Events Center LSSU has lost their last five games to NMU, and have not won the season series since the 1999-2000 season, going 4-15-3 since then. LSSU trails the all-time series, 23-47-7, including a terrible 8-28-3 record in Marquette and 15-19-4 record at home. LSSU lost to NMU 3-1 and 2-1 earlier this season. This weekend's match-up will pit two closely matched teams against one another. Northern Michigan's offense has been ordinary this season averaging 2.81 goals per game, seventh in the CCHA, while allowing 2.69 goals per game, ranking them 5th in the CCHA. The Lakers are currently averaging 2.77 goals per game this season, 8th in the CCHA, while allowing only 2.20 goals per game, ranking them 6th in the nation. NMU's power play is ranked 10th in the CCHA connecting only .152 percent of the time giving them an average of .94 power play goals per game. The Wildcats penalty kill is ranked 4th in the CCHA with a .854 penalty kill percentage, and they are the 7th most penalized team in the CCHA averaging 21 minutes per game. The Lakers power play mean while is ranked 5th in the CCHA scoring a goal 18.0% of the time, 33 goals in 183 opportunities. The Lakers penalty kill is ranked 7th in the CCHA, allowing 26 goals in 158 opportunities, for a .835 penalty kill percentage. LSSU is also the least penalized team in the CCHA averaging only 15.93 minutes in the box each game. Michigan is offensively lead by, Dirk Southern and Daren Oliver, and former Laker Andrew Contois while former Soo Indian goaltender Bill Zaniboni has played in 26 of NMU games posting 12 wins with a 2.37 Goals Against Average and .913 Save Percentage. Southern has posted 10 goals and 30 points this season, while Contois is leading NMU with 13 goals (25 Points), and Oliver has 12 goals and 26 points this season. LSSU is lead by junior goaltender Jeff Jakaitis with his NCAA 9th ranked 2.05 goals against average, and 13th in the nation with a 0.924 save percentage. The Lakers offensive leader is Trent Campbell who has amassed 11 goals and 21 points this season appearing in all 30 of LSSU's games. LSSU has 8 players with 5 or more goals this season and 5 players with 10 or more assists.