Cappo Cup on the Line for Lakers Final Series of the Season

SAULT STE. MARIE – Two of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association’s hottest teams will face off Thursday at Taffy Abel Arena in the first game of a home-and-home series. Lake Superior State, which is 5-3-2 in its last 10 games, squares off at 7:05 p.m. against Upper Peninsula rival Northern Michigan, which is 6-2-2 in its last 10 games. The teams also play at 7:35 p.m. Saturday at the Berry Events Center in Marquette. Both games will be broadcast live on Rock 101 FM and simulcast on www.lssulakers.com. Pay-per-view video feeds are available on the B2 Network. Last weekend, the Lakers (8-16-6 overall, 6-15-5 CCHA) beat Alaska 2-1 in overtime and 5-3 for their first series sweep of the season, while the Wildcats swept Nebraska-Omaha, 6-4 and 4-3. Northern Michigan (15-16-3 overall, 12-12-2 CCHA) began its turnaround after getting swept by Wayne State in January. The Wildcats’ recent run included back-to-back 3-3 ties at No. 1-ranked Michigan, followed by a home sweep of No. 6 Michigan State. The Lakers have been playing consistently well since splitting the Jan. 25-26 series at Ohio State and have shown the most improvement on defense. They were giving up an average of 4.2 goals per game against CCHA opponents when they last played NMU and were in the midst of a 12-game winless streak. They have allowed only 2.8 goals per game during their last 10 outings. NMU already secured a chance to host a CCHA first-round playoff series, but the Wildcats are trapped in a four-way tie for fifth place with Bowling Green, Ferris State and UNO. LSSU, which will travel to one of those four schools during the first round of the playoffs, is currently tied for 10th place with Ohio State. The Buckeyes close out the regular season with a home and home series against No. 5 Miami. LSSU and OSU can catch ninth-place Alaska, which is idle this weekend. Both teams trail the Nanooks by three points. The Wildcats, who swept the November series against LSSU, 4-2 and 3-1, are trying to reclaim the Father Cappo Cup, which LSSU won last year for the first time since 1999-00. NMU leads the total-goals series, 7-3. The Lakers aren’t the same team they were three months ago, and several players can prove it with the positive streaks they have going. Freshman forward Rick Schofield was named CCHA Rookie of the Week after extending his goal-scoring streak to three games. Sophomore defenseman Steven Kaunisto has an assist in each of his three last games. Senior forward Dan Eves has contributed 3-7—10 and sophomore forward Zac MacVoy has 5-6—11 in the Lakers’ last 10 games. Sophomore goaltender Pat Inglis, with a season goals-against average of 3.84 and save percentage of .873, is 2-1-1 with a 2.47 GAA in his last four games. Junior forward Nick Sirota leads NMU in points with 16-15—31, followed by freshman forward Mark Olver with 14-15—29. Olver, who is ranked fourth in the CCHA in points by a freshman, is riding a six-game point streak of 5-4—9. Sirota is ranked ninth in the CCHA in goals scored and is tied for the lead in short-handed goals with four. From a special teams standpoint, NMU is ranked 11th in the CCHA in penalty killing, while LSSU is 12th. The Lakers’ are seventh in the league in power-play conversion, while the Wildcats are 12th. LSSU has an overtime record of 2-0-7, while NMU is 2-1-3. Both teams posted an overtime victory last weekend. Notes: LSSU sophomore forward John Scrymgeour was featured on the Toronto hockey podcast “A Foot in the Crease.” To access the interview, visit www.afootinthecrease.com.

Lakers Sweep Alaska-Fairbanks.

Lake Superior State University’s hockey team picked up its first sweep of the season this past weekend against the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, giving them an overall 8-18-6 record, 6-15-5 in CCHA play. After a scoreless first period LSSU fell behind 8 minutes into the second period with UAF’s Ryan Hohl scoring his first collegiate goal. LSSU was able to tie up the game at 1-1 at 14:36 of the third period with Will Acton scoring his third goal of the season on the power play, with Steven Kaunisto and Josh Sim assisting. Rick Schofield netted his 7th goal of the season 2:42 into the overtime period to give the Lakers the win, on the first shot either team mustered in overtime, Zac MacVoy and Dan Eves recorded their 12th and 13th assists respectively on the goal.LSSU starting goaltender Brian Mahoney-Wilson made 25 saves on the 26 shots he faced. While Alaska-Fairbanks goaltender Wylie Rogers made 39 saves on LSSU’s season high 41 shots to in a losing effort, to be named the games first star. LSSU went 1-for-5 on the power while UAF was 0-for-2 with the extra man. Saturday night LSSU jumped out to an early 0-3 lead in the first period, outshooting UAF 17-to-2 and chasing Alaska-Fairbanks starting goaltender Wylie Rogers. Schofield scored his 8th goal of the season at 6:29 of the first period with Dan Eves and Steve Oleksy assisting. John Scrymgeour give LSSU a 0-2 lead just over a minute later, 7:52 of the first period, with Jason Blain assisting. Scrymgeour added his second goal, shorthanded, of the game with 1 second remaining in the period with Simon Gysbers and Kaunisto recording assists. Alaska-Fairbanks battled back in the second period with Tyler Eckford scoring on the powerplay just 42 seconds into the period, and brought it to a one goal game with Dustin Sather scoring at 15:43 of the period to make it a 2-3 game. UAF’s Landon Novotney scored his 15th goal of the season 23 seconds into the third period to tie the game up at 3-3. Senior Jason Blain scored his second goal of the season just over 2 minutes later at 2:56 of the 3rd period, with Chad Nehring assisting. Dan Eves added an insurance goal, at 7:23, to give LSSU a 3-5 win. Zac MacVoy and Justin Gutwald assisted on the Eves goal. LSSU’s Pat Inglis made 22 saves on the 25 shots he faced, giving him a 3-9-3 record on the season, UAF’s Rogers (3 GA) and Chad Johnson (2 GA) recorded 14 and 19 saves respectively on 38 Laker shots. LSSU went 0-for-5 on the power play (1-for-10 on the weekend), while UAF scored one power play goal on their 6 opportunities (going 1-for-8 on the weekend). Next weekend LSSU plays a home and home series with Northern Michigan.

Senior Night this Weekend Against Alaska

Lake Superior State will pay tribute to seniors Jason Blain, Justin Gutwald and Dan Eves when the Lakers play host to Alaska during their final regular-season homestand. LSSU will also honor long-time Sault Michigan Hockey Association volunteer Diane Floyd when her husband, Willie, drops the puck in her honor prior to Saturday’s game. LSSU (6-18-6 overall, 4-15-5 Central Collegiate Hockey Association) and Alaska (8-17-5 overall, 8-14-4 CCHA) will play at 7:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Taffy Abel Arena. Both games will be broadcast live on Rock 101 FM and simulcast on www.lssulakers.com. Pay-per-view video feeds are available on the B2 Network. Blain, Gutwald and Eves progressed admirably during their collegiate careers and have provided a much-needed veteran presence to this year’s young team. Eves entered the program as an 18-year-old true freshman, and has matured into a team leader and physical forward. The assistant captain has seven goals and 12 assists through 30 games, and he is tied for the team lead in points with sophomore Zac MacVoy. Gutwald played in 16 games as a freshman and didn’t crack the lineup as a sophomore. He played 23 games as a junior, starting out on defense and finishing the season at forward when John Scrymgeour was injured. Gutwald is back on defense this season and one of only two LSSU upperclassmen on the blue line. Blain, a 4.0 student, has been playing the best hockey of his career since moving from right wing to the center position in January. He has a point in three of his last five games. All three seniors and their families will participate in the traditional spotlight ceremony following Saturday’s game. Willie Floyd will drop the puck prior to the Saturday game in honor of his wife, Diane, who was killed in a car accident in November. Diane Floyd was active in the Hiawatha Skating Club in the 1970s, then became an SMHA officer when her sons began playing hockey. Long after her children were grown, she and Willie remained involved in SMHA, and Willie went on to serve as director of officials for the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association. Diane, who is best-known as the SMHA’s former ice scheduler, received numerous awards, including MAHA’s 15-year service award and the prestigious Chuck Brown Memorial Trophy. Prior to the internet, she had three phone lines coming into her home, and they were usually all ringing during hockey season. She loved children and felt that youth hockey was instrumental to building character in young lives. LSSU, which is playing three of its last four regular-season games at home, is coming off of back-to-back 4-2 losses at No. 1 Michigan. The Lakers scored with approximately five minutes remaining in both games to close within one goal of U-M, but the Wolverines secured the wins by scoring last-minute empty-net goals. The Lakers, who are 3-2-2 in their last seven games, are led in scoring by MacVoy (8-11—19), Eves (7-12—19), sophomore Nathan Perkovich (14-4—18) and junior Troy Schwab (4-14—18). The true key to their recent success is the team’s overall defensive improvement. When Lake Superior State and Michigan first met in mid-November, the Wolverines scored five unanswered goals in the second and third period of both games and dominated the series. Last week, U-M out-scored the Lakers by a total of 5-2 in the second and third periods, but two of those goals were empty-netters and one occurred nine seconds after LSSU fended off a two-minute 5-on-3 Michigan power play. The Lakers have significantly closed the gap. Alaska is 3-2-1 in its last six games, including a 2-1 loss and 1-1 tie at home against ninth-ranked Notre Dame last weekend. The Nanooks are led by junior defenseman Tyler Eckford (6-21—27) and sophomore center Dion Knelsen (10-16—26), while senior goaltender Wylie Rogers has an impressive 2.58 goals-against average and .922 save percentage. Rogers totaled 40 saves to salvage the tie against UND. Alaska’s 22-hour trip to Sault Ste. Marie is its longest of the season. LSSU closes out the regular season with a home-and-home series against Northern Michigan. The Lakers’ final regular-season home game is Thursday, Feb. 28, at 7:05 p.m. against NMU. The game was moved up one day to accommodate LSSU students leaving for spring break.

Lakers Head Back to St Mike's and Land Cassiani

The St. Michael’s Buzzers of the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League have announce that, 5-11 188lbs, Forward Fred Cassiani has committed to attend Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie Michigan where he will take to the ice with the Lakers for the 2008-09 season. The 1987 born forward has an impressive 32-57-89/49 line in the 2007-2008 Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League 2007-2008 regular season, nearly doubling his scoring from the previous year and earning him third place in overall points in the league this season. Cassiani is one of the most durable players the Buzzers have iced in recent memory, only missing 2 games in the past three 49 games seasons. It is his dedication to the game and unmatched leadership with the St. Michael’s Buzzers that has earned him the team’s captaincy for the past two years. Buzzers General Manager and Head Coach, Rich Ricci, said of Cassiani: “Fred has been an outstanding player for the Buzzers over the course of 4 years. His perseverance and dedication to the team and improving his game is a model for all players in our program. Fred has made his mark as a two-time league champion, two-time captain, two-time league All-Star and the Buzzers all time games played record holder. Fred's dedication will be a huge asset to the LSSU hockey program.” Cassiani will join up with former Buzzers’ teammate John Scrymgeour who signed on with the Lakers in the 2006 season and is widely expected to make a significant impact immediately for the Lakers.

LSSU to Travel to #1 Michigan

Last weekend we had Hockey Day in Canada, this weekend we have the inaugural “Hockey Weekend Across America.” Lake Superior State (6-16-6 overall, 4-13-5 Central Collegiate Hockey Association), which is riding a five-game unbeaten streak, plays No. 1 Michigan (23-3-4 overall, 16-2-4 CCHA) at 8:05 p.m. Friday and 7:35 p.m. Saturday at Yost Arena. Friday’s game will be broadcast live on CSTV. Saturday’s game is part of a “Hockey Day in Michigan” double-header on FSN-Detroit. Former LSSU goaltender Mike Greenlay will be broadcast Saturday’s game with Ken Daniels and Shireen Saski. Greenlay, who played at LSSU from 1986-88, is the television color commentator for the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. Radio coverage of both games will also be available on Rock 101 FM. National themes for “Hockey Weekend Across America” include “Wear your jersey to school (or work) day” on Friday, and “Bring a friend to the rink day” on Saturday. Go to http://www.hockeyweekendacrossamerica.com/ to get more information and register to win prizes. Among the many statewide events are the “Hockey has Heart” campaign (see http://www.hockeyhasheart.com/ for details), and “Hockey in the Hood,” which is the first minority hockey tournament sponsored by the Detroit Hockey Association in cooperation with the NHL’s Diversity Task Force. “Hockey Day in Michigan” is in its third year. The Lakers head to Michigan this weekend after earning three points in a series for the second straight week and owning a 3-0-2 record in their last five games. During early-season 5-1 and 6-2 home losses to the Wolverines, they were in the midst of a seven-game losing skid. They have a much higher confidence level heading into this weekend’s rematch. One of LSSU’s hottest players is sophomore forward Zac MacVoy, who scored a goal in both games of last weekend’s 3-3 tie and 3-2 win at Western Michigan. MacVoy, a transfer from U-M, has three game-winning goals and one game-tying goal to his credit during the Lakers’ last five games and has taken over as the team’s points leader (8-10—18). Freshman Chad Nehring (2-0—2), junior Troy Schwab (1-1—2) and senior Dan Eves (0-2—2) also had multiple-point weekends. Sophomore Nathan Perkovich (13-4—17), Eves (6-11—17) and Schwab (4-13—17) are tied for second on the team in scoring. Michigan overtook Miami for the CCHA standings lead by taking three of four points from the RedHawks during last weekend’s series in Oxford, Ohio. The Wolverines’ top line of Max Pacioretty, Kevin Porter and Chad Kolarik combined for six goals, five assists and a plus-six rating as they won 4-2 and tied 5-5. Porter (25-20—45) and Kolarik (20-19—39) are ranked first and third, respectively, in the CCHA in points. U-M is 9-0-2 in its last 11 road games, which is the second-longest road unbeaten streak in school history. The team is 10-2-2 in Yost Arena.

LSSU Takes 3 of 4 Points from Western Michigan

Notching a tie and a win this weekend to earn three points the Lakers jumped Ohio State to hold 10th place in the CCHA with six games remaining in the season. Friday night Lake Superior State led on three different occasions, but failed to maintain the lead as Western Michigan came back to tie Friday's hockey game every time as the Lakers and Broncos skated to a 3-3 deadlock at Lawson Arena. LSSU (5-16-6 overall, 3-13-5 Central Collegiate Hockey Association) recorded its second overtime tie in as many games and extended its unbeaten streak to four games (2-0-2). The Lakers and Broncos (7-19-3 overall, 3-16-2 CCHA) play again at 7:35 p.m. Saturday in Kalamazoo. Chad Nehring scored the first goal for LSSU, which was playing its first game in Kalamazoo since November, 2005. He gave the Lakers a 1-0 lead at 8:40 of the first period, and Troy Schwab drew the assist. WMU's Cam Watson answered at 10:15 of the opening period. Defenseman Steve Oleksy scored his first goal of the season for a 2-1 LSSU lead at 15:14 of the second period. Will Acton and Jason Blain had assists. The Lakers' first penalty of the game led to WMU's second goal, which was scored by Jeff Pierce at 19:56 of the middle stanza. The Broncos were 1-for-1 on the power play for the night, while LSSU finished 0-for-3. Zac MacVoy gave Lake Superior State a 3-2 edge at 7:10 of the third period. Rick Schofield drew the only assist. WMU's Max Campbell tallied the game-tying goal at 15:27. LSSU goaltender Brian Mahoney-Wilson totaled 29 saves, including 13 in the opening period. WMU netminder Riley Gill had 30 saves, including 13 in the final period. With a win on Saturday Lake Superior State posted its second straight three-point weekend, but this time the Lakers did it on the road, tying 3-3 Friday and winning 3-2 Saturday at Western Michigan. LSSU (6-15-6 overall, 4-13-5 Central Collegiate Hockey Association) scored a goal in each period both nights. WMU (7-20-3 overall, 3-17-2 CCHA) answered every goal on Friday, but the Broncos couldn't solve the Lake Superior State defense on Saturday until they spoiled sophomore goaltender Pat Inglis' shutout with 1:34 to go. Freshman Chad Nehring scored LSSU's first goal of the game for the second straight night, giving the Lakers a 1-0 lead at 3:04 of the first period. Dan Eves and Dillin Stonehouse were credited with assists. Troy Schwab made it 2-0 with a goal at 13:51 of the second period, and Zac MacVoy gave the Lakers a 3-0 lead by scoring at 1:45 of the third period. No assists were reported. Western Michigan's Nathan Ansell scored on a slapshot from near the boards to cut the lead to 3-1 at 18:26 of the third period. With WMU goalie Jerry Kuhn pulled in favor of an extra attacker, Bronco Jeff LoVecchio made it 3-2 with four seconds remaining. Inglis totaled 33 saves, while Kuhn finished with 34. It was the Lakers' first win of the season when out-shooting an opponent. They edged the Broncos in shots on goal in both games of the series. LSSU was 0-for-3 on the power play, while WMU finished 0-for-2. The Lakers, who took three of four points from Ferris State during last weekend's home series, travel to Michigan for two televised games next weekend. Notes: An assist was credited to Eves on the Lakers' third goal Friday...The Lakers and Broncos celebrated "Think Pink" as part of a breast cancer awareness campaign and played Saturday's game with pink tape on their sticks and pink skate laces...LSSU has a five-game unbeaten streak (3-0-2)...MacVoy has scored the game-winning goal in the Lakers' last three victories.

LSSU Look to Gain Ground in CCHA this Weekend Against WMU

The Lake Superior State hockey team will play its next two series on the road beginning with its first series at Western Michigan since November, 2005. The Lakers (5-16-5 overall, 3-13-4 Central Collegiate Hockey Association), who are riding their first three-game unbeaten streak of the season, take on the Broncos (7-19-2 overall, 3-16-1 CCHA) at 7:35 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at Lawson Arena. Both games will be broadcast live on Rock 101 FM and simulcast on www.lssulakers.com. LSSU and WMU are desperately trying to move up in the CCHA standings. The Lakers trail 10th-place Ohio State by only one point, while the Broncos are in 12th place, three points behind Lake Superior State. Ohio State travels to fifth-place Nebraska-Omaha, and ninth-place Northern Michigan plays host to third-place Michigan State. This could be a pivotal weekend if either the Lakers or Broncos sweep the series. LSSU travels to No. 2-ranked Michigan on Feb. 15-16. Lake Superior State’s three-point weekend included a 3-2 win and 1-1 tie at home against Ferris State, which is currently tied for seventh place with Alaska. Laker freshman goalie Brian Mahoney-Wilson was solid in earning his fourth win of the season Friday. Sophomore goalie Pat Inglis started for the first time since Jan. 18 and was outstanding while stopping 36 of 37 shots on goal, including all five in overtime Saturday. Sophomore forward Zac MacVoy scored a power-play goal early in the second period Friday for his second game-winning goal in as many contests. Senior Jason Blain’s first goal of the season was the Lakers’ lone goal on Saturday. He has centered the grinder line for most of the season, but his line has had more offensive punch with the addition of leading scorer Nathan Perkovich (13-4—17) during the last three games. LSSU is 3-3-0 in its last six games against Western Michigan, which were all played in Sault Ste. Marie. Last season, the teams split the series with the Broncos winning 3-1 on Feb. 23, 2007, and the Lakers coming back with a 4-3 victory on Feb. 24. Alaska swept WMU in Fairbanks last weekend with back-to-back 3-2 decisions. Friday’s loss dropped the Broncos to 0-5-2 in overtime games. Western Michigan is a team that has struggled with goals-allowed in the second period of games this season. The Broncos have given up 36 goals in the middle stanza compared to 25 goals in the first period and 24 in the second. The Lakers have an even distribution of more than 30 goals-allowed in all three periods this season. But part of the reason for their recent success is that they shut out Ferris State in the third period of both contests. WMU’s penalty-killing unit is ranked 23rd nationally at .853. The Broncos held Alaska scoreless on nine power-play chances last weekend. Notes: The starting time for LSSU’s game at Michigan on Friday, Feb. 15, is now 8:05 p.m. That game will be televised live on CSTV, while the Saturday, Feb. 16, game will be televised live on FSN-Detroit at 7:35 p.m….LSSU will celebrate Senior Night on Saturday, Feb. 23. The Lakers will also pay tribute to Diane Floyd during that game. Floyd, who was killed in a car accident last November, devoted decades of service to the Sault Michigan Hockey Association and was a former president of the Hiawatha Skating Club.

LSSU takes 3 Points from Ferris

Lake Superior State University’s hockey team picked up 3 points in CCHA play with a win on Friday and a tie on Saturday against Ferris State, giving them an overall 5-16-5 record, 3-13-4 in CCHA play. LSSU fell behind early in the game with Ferris’s Adam Miller scoring 3:47 into the first period. LSSU was able to battle back early in the period with Josh Sim (5:00) and Pat Aubry (6:13) scoring just over a minute apart, Zac MacVoy and Troy Schwab assisted on the Sim goal, Dan Eves and Chad Nehring assisted on the Aubry score. LSSU again failed to maintain the lead letting FSU score to tie the game up at 2-2 with Mike Embach scoring his first goal at 13:31. After a 2-2 first period LSSU came out and took the 2-3 lead on a power play goal by Zac MacVoy 1:36 into the second period, his sixth of the season, with Will Action and Simon Gysbers assisting. Neither team scored again giving LSSU a 3-2 victory. LSSU starting goaltender Brian Mahoney-Wilson made 21 saves on the 23 shots he faced. While Ferris goaltender Pat Nagle made 13 saves on LSSU’s 16 shots to in a losing effort. LSSU went 1-for-8 on the power play managing only 3 shots in over 14 minutes with the extra man while FSU was 0-for-4 with the extra man. Saturday night LSSU took a 0-1 lead on a Jason Blain’s 4-on-4 goal, his first of the season, with Nathan Perkovich assisting at 5:01 of the first period. Ferris State’s Justin Menke tied the game 1-1 at 14:16 of the second period, ending the scoring for the game. LSSU’s Pat Inglis made 36 saves on the 37 shots he faced, including 5 Bulldog shots in overtime, giving him a 1-8-3 record on the season, FSU’s Mitch O’Keefe gave up 1 goal on the 24 Laker shots he faced, LSSU didn’t record any shots in overtime. LSSU went 0-for-6 on the power play (1-for-14 on the weekend), while Ferris scored one power play goal on their 5 opportunities (going 1-for-9 on the weekend). Next weekend LSSU travels to Kalamazoo to take on last place Western Michigan University (7-19-2, 3-16-1 CCHA).