Lake Superior Picked to Finish 10th

Lake Superior Picked to Finish 10th in the CCHA Coaches and Media Polls released this afternoon. Coaches poll 1. Notre Dame (8) -- 128 2. Michigan (3) -- 122 3. Miami (Ohio) (1) -- 108 4. Northern Michigan -- 102 5. Michigan State -- 96 6. Ferris State -- 84 7. Ohio State -- 67 8. Nebraska-Omaha -- 59 9. Bowling Green -- 56 10. Lake Superior State -- 46 11. Alaska -- 28 11. Western Michigan -- 28 Media poll 1. Michigan (43) -- 945 2. Notre Dame (35) -- 915 3. Michigan State (2) -- 776 4. Miami (Ohio) (2) -- 746 5. Northern Michigan (1) -- 700 6. Ferris State -- 529 7. Bowling Green -- 444 8. Nebraska-Omaha -- 415 9. Ohio State -- 339 10. Lake Superior State -- 322 11. Alaska -- 198 12. Western Michigan -- 145

LSSU kicks off 2008-09 hockey season with ESPN Tailgate and Blue-White Game

SAULT STE. MARIE – Lake Superior State will kick off the 2008-09 hockey season Saturday with the ESPN Tailgate Tour from 3-7 p.m. and the annual Blue-White at 7 p.m. at the Norris Center. The two events, which are open to the public, follow Tuesday’s Central Collegiate Hockey Association Media Day and the first Laker Hockey Show of the season. Laker fans can view live coverage of CCHA Media Day on www.ccha.com. The Laker Hockey Show will be broadcast live from Dondee Lanes every Tuesday at 6:05 p.m. Because LSSU coach Jim Roque is attending CCHA meetings and Media Day, this week’s guests on the Laker Hockey Show will be LSSU assistant coach Tim Christian and LSSU assistant director of athletics Tom Coates. The ESPN Tailgate Tour includes contests such as the Quarterback Blitz throwing challenge and Wii Madden ’09, a chance to win a PlayStation 3 and free food. LSSU student-athletes will be attending the event, and LSSU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee members will be selling Links of Love in support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Laker hockey season ticket packages will be on sale at the Norris Center Ticket Office from 6 p.m. Saturday through first intermission of the Blue-White Game. Beginning at 6:45 p.m., free Believe In Blue t-shirts will be given to the first 500 LSSU students with valid school IDs. The Blue-White Game will consist of two 25-minute stop-time periods. Guest coaches will be Eugene and Perry Pingatore, winners of a silent auction prize at the 2008 Lake State Golf Classic. The Lakers officially open their season during the second annual Superior Cup on Oct. 10-11. They play host to Minnesota-Duluth and Michigan Tech at 7:05 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

LSSU Hockey 2008-09 Season Preview

After a disappointing 2007-08 season in with the Lakers went 10-20-7 tying for 9th in the CCHA the Lakers look to rebound this season. The Lakers return an experienced team this season only losing three seniors from last years squad. Success this season will depend on the Lakers getting of to a good start next season as they will conclude the season with games against, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Michigan, Miami, and Northern Michigan, as well as Bowling Green and Western Michigan. Last season a struggling LSSU team went 2-12-2 against plus-.500 teams, 1-2-1 against Northern Michigan and only went 8-5-4 against sub-.500 teams. The schedule doesn’t get easier this season with LSSU finding themselves in a cluster with Northern Michigan, defending national champion Notre Dame, and Bowling Green who eliminated LSSU Offense. Scoring this season will be a question mark for the Lakers as it has been for the past 10 years or so. Key returnees include Nathan Perkovich, who led the Lakers with 17 goals last season, Zac MacVoy who posted 27 points with 19 assists and Troy Schwab who posted 24 points on 18 assists. The key loss on the offensive side of the ice include is Dan Eves who posted 26 points last season in his best season with the Lakers. Look for freshman Dan Barczuk and Fred Cassiani to contribute in the attacking zone. Brad Cooper, Bud Coopers grandson will also bolster the forward ranks for the Lakers becoming eligble this season after transferring from Providence College. LSSU will look to improve on the 2.46 goals per game that they averaged over 37 games last season including just 0.81 power play goals per game, scoring just 15.1% of the time with the extra man. Defense. LSSU will start the season with only 7 defenders on their roster. The defense will be anchored this season by Steven Kaunisto, Simon Gysbers, and Steven Oleksy, with incoming players Kyle Haines and Kyle Popur expected to contribute on the blue line immediately. Last season LSSU’s defense allowed 3.38 goals per games killing only 73.5% of their shorthanded opportunities and scoring only 3 shorthanded goals all season. Goaltending. Last season saw the Lakers opponents score almost one additional goal per game, 0.82 GPG to be exact, than the 2006-07 seasons with the loss of Jeff Jakaitis. Junior Pat Inglis and Sophomore Brian Mahoney-Wilson struggled to fill the skates of Jakaitis allowing splitting time and posting a 3.56 GAA with a .888 SV% and 3.00 GAA and a .899 SV% respectively. Neither goalie stepped up to the starting position last season, so look for both goalies to contribute again this year. LSSU reportably has Tyler Marble from Detroit Honeybaked lined up for the 2010 season, so it looks like Coach Roque has confidence in Inglis and Mahoney-Wilson to hold down Fort Brady until then. Look for the CCHA’s annual Media and Coaches polls on the afternoon of September 30, and the annual Blue-White Game on October 4.

Lakers Land Hometown Forward

TRAVERSE CITY - It wasn't long after Kyle Jean's family moved to Sault Ste. Marie from California that the youngster began to take a rooting interest in the local Lake Superior State University hockey team. Almost 15 years later, Lake Superior State has a rooting interest in Kyle Jean. The Traverse City North Stars forward effectively fulfilled the 'local boy makes good' axiom by accepting a scholarship to play at LSSU, starting in the fall of 2009. "It's pretty amazing," said Jean, who reported to Traverse City on Sunday for the start of the current campaign. "I used to love going to Lakers games, I had a Lakers jersey - Kurt Miller even gave me an autographed stick one time. I never thought I'd get the opportunity to actually play there, to play in the CCHA, and now it's becoming a reality. It's pretty sick." Ailments aside, Jean is described as a veritable kid-in-a-candy-store when he hits the rink by another Lake Stater, North Stars head coach/GM Anthony Palumbo. "He has the talent and the work ethic, but he just loves the game of hockey," said Palumbo, who hailed from just across the border in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. and captained LSSU to an NCAA championship in 1988. "Kyle eats, breathes, and sleeps the game. His natural enthusiasm just to lace 'em up is something that has an effect on the (other) guys." Jean, seeking a regular shift in the North American Hockey League, asked the Marquette Rangers to trade him, and a deal was reached to bring him to TC early in January. He played in 42 games between the Stars and Rangers, collecting seven goals and four assists to go with 30 minutes of box time. All five of his goals with Traverse City came against his former team, including a trio of goals in the final weekend series of the 2007-08 season - a sweep that clinched the SmithBarney Challenge Cup series with Marquette. "Kyle just scratched the surface of his immense potential," Palumbo opined. "He's a big kid (6-3, 210), but he can play the finesse game too. I think a local kid with his skill set and character will be a great fit for the (LSSU) program." Jean, who amassed a 3.5 GPA en route to the collegiate ranks, plans to major in business. In the meantime, he knows the North Stars - who narrowly missed the final NAHL North playoff berth by two points last season - have some unfinished business. "Of course, the ultimate goal is to first get in the playoffs, then to advance and play for a national championship," Jean offered. "I think we'd all agree on those goals, team-wise. I'm not looking for a certain number of goals or points or anything like that. If we go out and play the best we can, the wins will come - and part of that is just going out and having fun and playing like we did when we were kids." Kids with Lakers jerseys, that is.