GLSW Features LSSU Versus Western Ontario

Lake Superior State will celebrate Great Lake State Weekend with an exhibition hockey game against Western Ontario at 7:05 p.m. Saturday at Taffy Abel Arena. The Lakers, who are playing their home opener after finishing 0-1-1 at last weekend’s inaugural Superior Showcase, will be taking on a team dominated by former OHL players. The average age of the players on Western Ontario’s roster is 22.7 years old, while the average age of the players on LSSU’s team is 21.0 years old. Lake Superior State has lost their past three games versus Canadian universities, their first losses to Canadian schools since 1997, LSSU is 12-2-0 all time against Western Ontario. Despite an opening loss to to Lakehead last season LSSU posted their second straight winning season under head coach Jim Roque. Last weekend, coach Roque dressed seven freshmen and 13 underclassmen as the Lakers tied Minnesota-Duluth 2-2 and lost 4-3 to Michigan Tech. Western Ontario, coached by Clarke Singer, is 6-2-0 overall and 3-1-0 in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Far West Division heading into Thursday’s home conference game against Laurier. The Mustangs lost 5-1 to sixth-ranked Michigan on Oct. 7, but trailed only 1-0 until the Wolverines’ Carl Hagelin notched a third-period hat trick to put the game out of reach. UWO’s roster includes 10 former OHL players, including former Soo Greyhounds forward Jacob King of Thessalon, Ont. Lake Superior State and UWO last met in an exhibition game on Oct. 4, 2002. LSSU scored three unanswered goals in the third period to win that game, 4-1. The Lakers have an all-time record of 12-2-0 against the Mustangs. LSSU’s top line so far this season includes a mix of young and old. The line of senior Dan Eves, sophomore Nik Sellers and freshman Chad Nehring scored a goal in both games last weekend. Sophomore Nathan Perkovich is enjoying another productive October, starting off the season with a goal in both games. Last year, from Oct. 14 through Nov. 3, Perkovich scored goals in six straight games. Notes: The first 2,000 fans at Saturday’s hockey game will receive “Believe in Blue” wrist bands…LSSU’s 2-2 tie at Minnesota-Duluth last Friday was the Lakers’ first tie since Jan. 5, 2007, at home against Nebraska-Omaha (4-4) and their first tie on the road since Dec. 8, 2006, at Ferris State (1-1)…LSSU will recognize alumni award honorees during first intermission of Saturday’s game. Among those being introduced are Outstanding Alumnus Jim Knight, Don Wilson of the Hudson Foundation, Shouldice Achievement Award winner Kevin Borseth, and the LSSU Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2007 inductees: the 1978 volleyball team, John Gilbert and Teresa (Watwood) Gilbert. LSSU Game Notes