Jakaitis wins Clifford Everett Outstanding Male Athlete Award

Lake Superior State University goaltender Jeff Jakaitis was named Lake Superior State University's senior male athlete of the year during the LSSU Department of Athletics' annual banquet held April 19th at the Cisler Center. Jakaitis (Rochester, Minn.) received the Clifford Everett Outstanding Male Athlete Award after becoming LSSU's first four-time most-valuable player in hockey. He set school records in career shutouts (10), games played (125), career save percentage (.925), single-season saves (1,059), single-season save percenatage (.933), CCHA career saves (2, 485) and CCHA career save percentage (.926). His highest single-season save percentage ranks 19th in the NCAA record book, while his career save percentage ranks seventh nationally. This year he was awarded all-CCHA second team honors, was named Lowe's All-Senior First-Team All-America and was the top vote-getter with 63,000 votes on www.hobeybaker.com. As a junior, he was named the Perani Cup points champion and was named All-CCHA First Team. Jakaitis is a three-time CCHA Scholar-Athlete with a 3.47 GPA in business. Jakaitis has been selected to be the 2007 student respondent at LSSU’s commencement ceremony on May 5

Tim Christian among Five Finalists to Replace Former LSSC player Doug Ross as Alabama-Huntsville Head Coach

Saturday the University of Alabama in Huntsville Athletics department announced current Lake Superior State University assistant coach Tim Christian was among the finalists for the school’s head hockey coach vacancy with the retirement of coach Doug Ross, LSSC 1971-72. In addition to Christian the other four finalists to replace Ross are Tom Carroll (New England College), Danton Cole (Bowling Green State University), Doc DelCastillo (University of Nebraska-Omaha) and Lance West (University of Alabama-Huntsville). “With the super finish to our season, we were extremely pleased with the quality and number of candidates that expressed interest in the position,” noted Athletics Director Jim Harris. “Trimming the pool to the five finalists was a difficult process for the search committee and the five finalists are all extremely qualified. Narrowing the field further will be a tough task with such a talented group.” Plans are for the search committee to wrap up on-campus interviews next week and present one or more candidates to UAH President Dr. Frank Franz and Harris for the final decision. Barring any unforeseen delays, the department plans to announce the third coach in the program’s history the first week of May. Christian, a Grand Rapids, Michigan native played collegiate hockey at Ferris State University from 1991-1995 leading the team in scoring three of his four years at FSU. Christian then went on to play in the East Coast Hockey League for five seasons including playing for former LSSU head coach Frank Anzalone from 1995-1998. Christian came to LSSU in 2002 to join Frank Anzalone during his second stint in the Sault. Christian was retainied at LSSU by current head coach Jim Roque after Anzalone was dismissed following the 2003-04 season.

Senators Sign Free Agent Defenceman Derek Smith

OTTAWA - Ottawa Senators general manager John Muckler today announced the club has signed prospect Derek A. Smith to a two-year free agent contract. The 23 year-old defenceman has played the last three seasons with the Lake Superior State University Lakers of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. The Belleville, Ont., native tied for the team lead with 30 points in 43 games this season. Smith’s 30 points placed him second in CCHA scoring among defenceman. DEREK A. SMITH, Defenceman, Shoots left, 6’1”, 195 lbs.Born: October 13, 1984 (Belleville, Ont.)Drafted: Not drafted

Ottawa Defenseman Coming to LSSU

Defenseman Matt Cowie from Nepean of the Central Junior A Hockey League (CJHL) will join the Lake Superior State University hockey squad next fall. In 45 regular season games last season the speedy 20 year old, 5-10” 185 pound, Nepean native led the Raiders in scoring, 5th in the league for defensemen, tallying 12 goals and 30 assists, including 5 goals and 12 assists on the power play. Cowie the Raiders captain last season also added 4 goals and 7 points (1-1-2 on the power play) in the 13 playoff games played by Nepean. Matt Cowie was awarded with the CJHL's Best Defenceman award for the 2006-07 season. Cowie will also receive the CJHL's Most Gentlemanly player award and was selected to the CJHL 1st team All Star team. Crowie is an all round athlete has stared in lacrosse in the Ottawa region for several years. Photo from http://www.nepeanraiders.com/

LSSC Alumni leads Michigan State to NCAA Championship

Rick Comley, class of 1972, led Michigan State University to the schools third NCAA Division 1 national championship with a win over Boston College on Saturday night, in his 5th season at MSU. As a player at LSSC Rick Comley recorded 151 career points (44 goals, 107 assists) leading the Lakers in assists three years. Comley was a NAIA All-American his freshman season 1968, and was named LSSC team captain his senior season eventually being selected the team’s Most Valuable Player. Comley was also named LSSU's Clifford Everett Outstanding Athlete Award recipient for the 1970-71 season, also being named 1970-71 International Collegiate Hockey Association All Star. Comley rejoined LSSC as an assistant to Ron Mason in the 1972-73 season and was named head coach when Ron Mason left Lake State to take Bowling Green State University’s head coaching position. In his first season as the Lakers head coach Comley lead the Lakers to their second NAIA National Championship in 3 years. Following the 1975-76 season Rick Comley left LSSC start Northern Michigan University’s hockey program, finishing his career at LSSC with a 59-46-3 record. Rick Comley went on to coach at Northern Michigan for 25 years compiling a 538-429-68 record. Comley led Northern Michigan to the NCAA tournament in 1980, 1981, 1989, 1991, 1992 and 1993, and 1999 winning the 1991 NCAA National Championship in a triple overtime game against Boston University. In March of 2002 Rick Comley was once again named Ron Mason’s successor as head coach this time at Michigan State University. In 5 seasons at MSU Comley’s Spartans have made three trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2004, 2006, and 2007 winning the the 2006 CCHA play-off championship along the way compiling a 117-73-19 record. In winning the 2007 NCAA championship Saturday night Comley joined Boston College’s Jerry York (BC & BGSU) and Ned Harkness (Rensselaer and Cornell) as the third coach to lead two different teams to NCAA national championships. Photo courtesy of USCHO.com (Melissa Wade)

Tentative schedule for 2007-08

Michigancollegehockey.net’s Mike Burrill has posted a tentative schedule for Lake Superior State University for the 2007-08 season. The season starts early with the previously reported Superior Cup, which will feature the Lakers traveling to Minnesota-Duluth and Michigan Tech. The Lakers have also found themselves clustered with Northern Michigan, Michigan and Michigan State, as had been previously rumored, after competing in a cluster last season with NMU, Ohio State, and Miami of Ohio. Last season LSSU went 4-5-0 (3-1 against NMU, 1-1 against UM, and 0-3 against MSU) against their new cluster mates including the CCHA playoff action in which LSSU battled back against MSU only to fall on a controversial overtime goal in the CCHA consolation game. LSSU will play host to Coach Roque’s old team in Clarkson again this year; LSSU ended up facing the Golden Knights three times last season going 1-2-0 including a 3-2 loss in the championship game of the Badger Classic. The Golden Knights finished last season 25-9-5, falling to Massachusetts 0-1 in overtime of the NCAA East Regional Semifinals. The Lakers will then take to the road traveling to South Bend to take on the CCHA champion Fighting Irish November 2-3, before traveling to Detroit to take on Wayne State on November 9-10 allowing Detroit Area alumni their only opportunity to see the Lakers in regular season play this season. LSSU will play 5 of their next 6 games at home hosting the University of Michigan on November 16th and 17th. Then play a home and home against Nothern Michigan, before hosting Michigan State on November 30th and December 1. The Lakers will next travel Nebraska Omaha for a series on December 7th and 8th, before potential Holiday tournament action. The Lakers will start the New Year in East Lansing playing Michigan State on January 4th and 5th, before hosting Bowling Green on January 11th and 12th, then heading down to Miami of Ohio on January 18th and 19th. The Lakers will close out the season playing 7 of 12 games at home with home series against Ohio State, Ferris State, and Alaska, traveling to Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor, and finishing the season with a home and home series with Northern Michigan. The key to success this season it will be for the Lakers to come out strong early in the season and pulling off some upsets. The schedule features 14 games against NCAA tournament teams in Clarkson, U of M, MSU, Miami of Ohio, and Notre Dame. Bemidji State is noticeably absent from the schedule again this year after it was rumored that the two schools were trying to rekindle their rivalry after meeting in the 2005-06 season. Mike reports that LSSU's exhibition opponent and holiday tournament have yet to be determined. Oct. 12 @ Minnesota-Duluth Oct. 14 @ Michigan Tech Oct. 20 HOME EXHIBITION Oct. 26-27 CLARKSON Nov. 2-3 @ Notre Dame Nov. 9-10 @ Wayne State Nov. 16-17 MICHIGAN Nov. 23-24 Northern Michigan (home & home) Nov. 30 MICHIGAN STATE Dec. 1 MICHIGAN STATE Dec. 7-8 @ Nebraska Omaha Jan. 4-5 @ Michigan State Jan. 11-12 BOWLING GREEN Jan. 18-19 @ Miami Ohio Jan. 25-26 OHIO STATE Feb. 1-2 FERRIS STATE Feb. 8-9 @ Western Michigan Feb. 15-16 @ Michigan Feb. 22-23 ALASKA Feb. 29 Northern Michigan Mar. 1 Northern Michigan (home & home)