Lakers Add a Goaltender and Defenseman to Spring Recruit List

SAULT STE. MARIE – The Lake Superior State hockey team has added goaltender Brian Mahoney-Wilson and defenseman Matt Cowie to its list of 2007 spring recruits, as previously reported on LSSUHockey.com. Cowie, a Nepean, Ont., is a 5-10, 180-pound defenseman who totaled 12 goals and 30 assists in 45 games with the Nepean Raiders of the Central Junior A Hockey League. He is regarded as one of the most-distinguished captains in the Raiders’ history after helping Nepean reach the CJHL finals five straight seasons. “We recruited him last summer, but he had trouble getting through the NCAA Clearinghouse,” said LSSU coach Jim Roque, who finds that Canadian prospects often lack the core classes necessary to get through the Clearinghouse. “We are really glad to get him. He’s like a Troy Schwab on defense. He’s a really good skater and competitive kid.” Mahoney-Wilson, a 5-10, 180-pound goaltender from West Roxbury, Mass., is a 2004 ninth-round draft pick of the San Jose Sharks. He was drafted after totaling six shutouts and a 1.16 goals-against average at Boston’s Catholic Memorial High School. He suffered an injury in 2005 and missed half of the 2005-06 season, and bounced around three leagues – the British Columbia Hockey League, United States Hockey League and Eastern Junior Hockey League. He was picked up last season by the Newmarket (Ont.) Hurricanes and finished 10-10-2-2 with a 3.23 goals-against average and .905 save percentage. “He’s a lot like Jeff Jakaitis was,” Roque said. “He played behind some really good goaltenders and just needed a chance. But he played all this year in Newmarket. He’s an athletic goaltender.” Mahoney-Wilson’s father, John, and two uncles played for Providence College. His uncle, Ron Wilson, is the current coach of the San Jose Sharks. His grandfather, Johnny Wilson, is a former player and coach for the Detroit Red Wings. His name was engraved on the Stanley Cup in 1950. LSSU’s freshman class for the fall of 2007 will be comprised of five forwards, two defensemen and a goaltender.

LSSU Releases 2007-08 Schedule

SAULT STE. MARIE – The Lake Superior State hockey team opens the 2007-08 season on Oct. 12 and 14 at the inaugural Superior Cup, which also includes Minnesota-Duluth, Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan. The Lakers play at UMD on Oct. 12 and travel to MTU on Oct. 14. NMU also travels to play at the Western Collegiate Hockey Association venues on the opposite dates. LSSU and NMU, which are the two Upper Peninsula representatives from the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, play host to the WCHA squads in 2008-09. LSSU faces Western Ontario at 7:05 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20, in its home opener. The exhibition game is a part of Great Lake State Weekend festivities. The following weekend, the Lakers play host to Clarkson in a non-conference series. They travel to Notre Dame for their CCHA opener on Nov. 2-3. CCHA cluster opponents in 2007-08 include NMU, Michigan and Michigan State, and the Lakers play two home games against all three opponents. The Wolverines travel to the Sault on Nov. 16-17, and the Spartans make the trip north Nov. 30-Dec. 1. The Lakers play at NMU at 7:35 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 23, and play host to the Wildcats at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 25. The teams meet again at 7:35 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28, in Sault Ste. Marie and Saturday, March 1, in Marquette. The Sunday and Thursday dates were established in order to provide extra rest for the team that is traveling and to accommodate students during Thanksgiving and spring break. LSSU also plays host to Bowling Green at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 12. The Lake State staff was pleased with the response to a 5 p.m. starting time during an October series last season. Another major change to the 2007-08 schedule is the switch of Friday home game times from 7:35 p.m. to 7:05 p.m. All LSSU home games will begin at 7:05 p.m. except the afternoon contests on Nov. 25 and Jan. 12. Laker hockey season tickets will go on sale June 1. Season tickets are $156 for adults and $85 for children 18-and-under, and include CCHA First-Round Playoffs. LSSU faculty, staff and retirees have until Aug. 1 to secure their seats, and public season-ticket holders have an Aug. 30 deadline to guarantee their seats. Season Ticket Holder Appreciation Night with Gordie Howe will be Sept. 11. Last season, the Lakers advanced to the CCHA Semifinals at Joe Louis Arena for the first time in 11 years. They return eight forwards, six defensemen and two goalies from last year’s 21-19-3 squad. The Blue-White Game is slated for Oct. 6. Tickets are available at the Norris Center Ticket Office, 906-635-2602, and on www.lssulakers.com. 2007-08 Laker Hockey Schedule Date Opponent Time Location Fri., Oct. 12 Minnesota-Duluth* TBA Duluth, Minn. Sun., Oct. 14 Michigan Tech* TBA Houghton, Mich. Sat., Oct. 20 Western Ontario (Exb.) 7:05 p.m. Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Fri., Oct. 26 Clarkson 7:05 p.m. Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Sat., Oct. 27 Clarkson 7:05 p.m. Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Fri., Nov. 2 Notre Dame 7:05 p.m. South Bend, Ind. Sat., Nov. 3 Notre Dame 7:05 p.m. South Bend, Ind. Fri., Nov. 9 Wayne State 7:05 p.m. Detroit, Mich. Sat., Nov. 10 Wayne State 7:05 p.m. Detroit, Mich. Fri., Nov. 16 Michigan 7:05 p.m. Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Sat., Nov. 17 Michigan 7:05 p.m. Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Fri., Nov. 23 Northern Michigan 7:35 p.m. Marquette, Mich. Sun., Nov. 25 Northern Michigan 3:05 p.m. Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Fri., Nov. 30 Michigan State 7:05 p.m. Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Sat., Dec. 1 Michigan State 7:05 p.m. Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Fri., Dec. 7 Nebraska-Omaha 8:05 p.m. Omaha, Neb. Sat., Dec. 8 Nebraska-Omaha 8:05 p.m. Omaha, Neb. Fri., Jan. 4 Michigan State 7:05 p.m. East Lansing, Mich. Sat., Jan. 5 Michigan State 7:05 p.m. East Lansing, Mich. Fri. Jan. 11 Bowling Green 7:05 p.m. Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Sat., Jan. 12 Bowling Green 5:05 p.m. Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Fri., Jan. 18 Miami 7:35 p.m. Oxford, Ohio Sat., Jan. 19 Miami 7:05 p.m. Oxford, Ohio Fri., Jan. 25 Ohio State 7:05 p.m. Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Sat., Jan. 26 Ohio State 7:05 p.m. Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Fri., Feb 1 Ferris State 7:05 p.m. Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Sat., Feb. 2 Ferris State 7:05 p.m. Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Fri., Feb. 8 Western Michigan 7:35 p.m. Kalamazoo, Mich. Sat., Feb. 9 Western Michigan 7:35 p.m. Kalamazoo, Mich. Fri, Feb. 15 Michigan 7:35 p.m. Ann Arbor, Mich. Sat., Feb. 16 Michigan 7:35 p.m. Ann Arbor, Mich. Fri., Feb. 22 Alaska 7:05 p.m. Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Sat., Feb. 23 Alaska 7:05 p.m. Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Thur., Feb. 28 Northern Michigan 7:35 p.m. Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Sat., Mar. 1 Northern Michigan 7:35 p.m. Marquette, Mich.

Lakers Land their Guy

The goaltending speculation at Lake Superior State University looks to have come to an end with West Roxbury Mass’s Brian Mahoney-Wilson committing to attend LSSU this fall. Last season the 21 year-old Mahoney-Wilson, “Beemer” split time with Newmarket and Georgetown of the Ontario Provincial Jr. A Hockey League (OPJHL) totaling 10 wins in 22 games, posting 2 shutouts with a 3.29 goals against average and .905 save percentage. Mahoney-Wilson was a high school hockey star playing for Catholic Memorial High School in Boston, Mass., posting a 1.16 goals-against average in 24 games in his senior season including six shutouts. Mahoney-Wilson was selected by the San Jose Sharks in the ninth round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft with the 288th overall pick, Brian is the nephew of San Jose Sharks head coach Ron Wilson. Mahoney-Wilson has had a rough couple of years following his high school career. Brian played his first year of Junior Hockey Playing for the Walpole Stars of the Eastern Junior Hockey League where he posted a 23-15-2 record with a .920 save percentage and 2.73 goals against average. In 2005-06 Brian found himself with the Burnaby Express of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League, By mid-October of 2005 Mahoney-Wilson had posted a 4-2-0-1 record before being injured by a crosschecked to the head leaving him with a grade three concussion, a separated shoulder and a pulled hip muscle, after being out 5 weeks he with the injury he found himself off the team. Mahoney-Wilson signed by the Indiana Ice of the United States Hockey League (USHL) in early 2006, but was traded to the Lincoln Stars before ever appearing in a game for Indiana. With Lincoln already having a starting goaltender Mahoney-Wilson found himself on the outside looking in again and only appeared in four games posting a .913 save percentage and a 2.80 goals-against average. http://www.hockeyjournal.com/juniors/200609/200609JuniorNEHJ.htm http://hockeysfuture.com/articles/8600

Weight Joins Versus

Good news if you are one of the few people in the country who’s cable or satellite provider carries Versus, (previously known as OLN, Outdoor Life Network, or the bicycle network), LSSU alumnus Doug Weight is joining the networks broadcast team for the remainder of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Doug Weight was a key contributor to last years Carolina Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup Championship team, after being traded to Carolina from St. Louis midway through the season. As a free agent at season's end Weight returned to the St. Louis where he had made his home since 2001. Doug Weight, 36, of Warren, Mich., played at Lake Superior State from 1989-91, tallying 50 goals and 94 assists in 88 games. Weight has recorded 255 goals and 689 goals for 944 points in 16 NHL seasons for the New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, and the Carolina Hurricanes. Weight’s has represented the United States 9 times in international play since 1991 scoring 10 goals and 39 assists. Weight participated in the 1998, 2002, and 2006 Olympics, but has been held goalless and has recorded only 6 assists in 14 games. Weight was a member of Team USA’s 1996 World Cup of Hockey championship team and has played on three American Olympic teams, winning a silver medal in 2002.

Lakers Sign Three to Leters Of Intent

SAULT STE. MARIE - The Lake Superior State hockey team signed forwards Rick Schofield and Chad Nehring, and defenseman Dillin Stonehouse to a National Letter of Intent during the 2007 spring signing period. No official word yet on defenseman Matt Cowie or a backup goaltender. Schofield, of Pickering, Ont., is a 6-1, 195-pound center for the Pickering Panthers of the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League. He led the Panthers in scoring with 36-34--70 and was tied for 14th in OPJHL scoring. He was named the South Conference's most-improved player, most-valuable player of the OPJHL All-Star Game and received the Brad Shearer Award -- a leadership award presented by the Panthers' organization. Pickering was 26-21-2 in the OPJHL's South Conference in 2006-07. Schofield, who is a former teammate of Laker freshman John Scrymgeour, was recruited to replace rookie Matt Martello, who left the team at mid-season. "He's a lot like Matt," LSSU coach Jim Roque said. "He's a big kid with good skills. He's got some pro potential." Nehring, of Springside, Sask., was named the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Player of the Month in March. The 5-11, 195-pound center for the Yorkton Terriers was the league's No. 2 scorer during the playoffs with 13-11--24 in 17 games. He was ranked 13th in SJHL scoring during the regular season and finished the year with 38-47--85. Yorkton was 26-22-4 in the SJHL's Sherwood Conference during the regular season. Roque described Nehring as a good two-way player. "He's a thick kid and strong," Roque said. "He's played in a couple championships, including the Canadian Championships against (Laker freshman) Ryan Baird a couple years ago." Stonehouse, of Elkhorn, Man., was named most-valuable defenseman for the Melfort Mustangs of the SJHL. The 6-0, 180-pounder totaled 12-36--48 in 58 regular-season games to finish second in league scoring among defensemen. He added 3-4--7 in 10 playoff games. Melfort was 37-18-1 in the SJHL's Itech Conference. Roque compared Stonehouse to Laker freshman Steven Kaunisto. "He's a really good puck handler and skater," he said. "He's smart and will be good on the power play. He's very mobile and can pass the puck. He's also a 4.0 student." Three fall signees also completed their junior seasons with impressive totals. Tyson Hobbins, a Nipawin Hawks right wing, finished his regular season with 23-38--6 1 in 47 games. He was 11th in the SJHL in scoring during the regular season and totaled 5-9--14 in 18 playoff games. Ohio Blue Jackets right wing Zac MacVoy totaled 13-13--26 in 47 games, while Stouffville Spirit left wing Will Acton finished with 16-13--29 in 33 games. "Right now I only have 22 skaters, and I like that," Roque said. "All of the freshmen will probably be major contributors - a lot like the freshmen this year."