Lakers Season Ends with Heartbreaking Overtime Loss.

After a mediocre start to the 2007-08 season, posting just two wins before Christmas, the Lakers where on a roll, losing just 2 of 11 games, heading into the CCHA playoffs in hopes of repeating last season’s run to the Joe. Friday night Lake Superior fell behind 0-3 in the first period before the Laker Steven Kaunisto scored two in the second period to pull the game to within one goal. Kaunisto’s first was scored at 8:53 of the second with Sac Macvoy recording his 17th assist and Rick Schofield his 8th on the goal. Kaunisto’s second goal, on the power play was assisted by Nathan Perkovich and Troy Schwab, with their 6th and 15th assists respectively. BGSU and LSSU swapped goals in the third period with the Flacon’s Todd McIlrath scoring the eventual game winning goal at 9:10, and Nathan Perkovich scoring his 16th of the season at 13:59, Schab and Kaunisto assisted on the Perkovich goal. LSSU starting goaltender Brian Mahoney-Wilson made 32 saves on the 36 shots he faced to record the loss. While Bowling Green goaltender Nick Eno made 20 saves on LSSU’s 23 shots for the win. LSSU went 1-for-5 on the power while BGSU was 0-for-4 with the extra man. Facing season ending elimination on Saturday night LSSU and BGSU skated to a scoreless first period, Lake Superior took a 3-0 lead in the second period with goals by Will Acton (4:59), Pat Aubry (7:50), and Simon Gysbers (8:51). Matt Cowie & Gysbers, Perkovich & Dillin Stonehouse, Justin Gutwald & Macvoy all recorded assists on the Lakers early barrage of goals. BGSU’s Jacob Cepis scored on the power play at 11:12, to bring the reel back the Lakers lead to 3-1. Gysbers was able to add his second goal of the game on the power play at 14:19 of the second period with MacVoy assisting. LSSU added two more goals in the third period with Acton scoring shorthanded at 9:19 aided by an assist by Perkovich. Dan Eves got in on the goal scoring with his 10th of the season at 13:39 with assists going to MacVoy and Schofield. LSSU goaltender Pat Inglis made 34 saves on the 35 shots he faced to record the win. While Bowling Green goaltender Nick Eno made 20 saves on 24 LSSU shots before being pulled following the second period. Backup Jimmy Spratt posted 6 saves on 8 shots in the third period. LSSU went 1-for-8 on the power while BGSU was 1-for-4 with the extra man. LSSU looked to pick up where they left off on Saturday night jumping out to a 1-0 lead on the back of Will Acton’s 6th goal of the season just 1:05 into the first period, Gysbers and Cowie assisted. BGSU tied the game at 1-1 on the powerplay at 6:03 of the period, slipping the game tying goal past LSSU goaltender Pat Inglis. LSSU put up two power play goals in the second period to gain a 3-1 lead over Bowling Green off of tallies by Schwab (6:15) and Perkovich (8:45) with Kaunisto & Acton, and Kaunisto and Schwab assisting. BGSU’s Derek Whitmore scored his first goal of the series at 12:02 of the second period to bring LSSU’s lead down to one. Facing elimination Bowling Green dominated the third period outshooting Lake State over 2-1, posting 19 shots on goal. With just three minutes remaining in the game Bowling Green was able to tie up the game at 3-3 with Todd McIlrath scoring his 4th goal of the season. Bowling Green’s Jacob Cepis put a the first shot of overtime past LSSU goaltender Pat Inglis just 26 seconds into overtime to tally the win for the Flacons, and bring the Lakers season to an end. LSSU’s Pat Inglis made 49 saves on the 53 shots he faced in the loss, to finish the season with a 4-10-4 record, BGSU’s Spratt recorded 29 saves 32 Laker shots. LSSU went 2-for-7 on the power play (4-for-20 on the weekend), while BGSU scored two power play goals on their 7 opportunities (going 3-for-15 on the weekend). Stay tuned to LSSUhockey.com throughout the offseason for all your Laker Hockey news.