Lake Superior State set to Spend Thanksgiving in Alaska

Lake Superior State University's (8-4-0, 3-3-0 CCHA) hockey team will take travel to Alaska this weekend to take on the University of Alaska Fairbanks (5-2-3, 3-1-2 CCHA) over the Thanksgiving break with games on Friday and Saturday night. The Nanooks swept Ferris State, beat and tied at Nebraska-Omaha, and tied one game with Northern Michigan earlier this season The Lakers trip to Alaska marks the start to the hart of CCHA season for the Lakers, the only non-conference action that they Lakers will see will be an exhibition game against the US Under-18 team and then their appearance at the Badger Showdown all occurring in December. Lake Superior is looking for their third sweep of the season and first in conference action. LSSU is coming off of a sweep over Wayne State last weekend while UAF is coming off of a loss and tie against Northern Michigan last weekend. LSSU leads the all-time series against UAF, 21-9-3, including going 4-2-4 in their past 10 meetings. Last season the Lakers swept the Nanooks 4-2, and 3-2 in Sault Ste. Marie. This is the only scheduled meeting of the two teams this season. Alaska Fairbanks is in eigth place in the CCHA with a conference record of 3-1-2, the Warriors are ranked fifth in the CCHA in offensive output averaging 3.60 goals per game while giving up only 2.70 goals per game. UAF's power play is tops in the CCHA with a 23.9 Power Play Percentage, while their penalty kill is 7th in the CCHA with an 82.3 penalty kill percentage. Alaska is averaging a league low 15.60 penalty minutes per game. LSSU's power play is has slipped to seventh in the CCHA averaging 1.17 PPG a game and a 18.9 power play percentage, after going 1-for-29 with the extra man in their past 5 games. The Lakers are currently fifth in the CCHA in penalty killing giving up 9 goals in 12 games with a kill rating of .859. LSSU goaltender Jeff Jakaitis is currently tied for first in the CCHA, with Notre Dame's David Brown, with a .950 SV%. LSSU freshman Pat Inglis has a .898 SV% and has recorded a 3.00 GAA while spitting time with Jakaitis. The Lakers are ranked third in the CCHA with a goals against average of 2.33. LSSU is offensively lead by Trent Campbell (5-8-13), Nathan Perkovich (8-3-11), and Derek A. Smith (1-9-10), who have 13, 11, and 10 points respectively. UAF is led offensively by junior Kyle Greentree who has 8 goals and 17 points in 10 games this year, after going 8-19-27 all of last year. The Nanooks Curtis Fraser has 6 goals and 11 points this season while defenseman Tyler Eckford has 9 assists and 13 points this season. Dion Knelson has posted 4 goals and 9 points in only 6 appearances this season. Alaska Fairbanks has seen sophomore goaltender Chad Johnson play the majority of the teams games this season recording 4 wins and 2 ties in 8 appearances posting a 2.09 GAA, and .918 SV%, junior Wylie Rogers has played in three games posting one win and one tie in 3 appearances posting a 4.14 GGA and .890 SV%.