LSSU to Play Host to NMU

SAULT STE. MARIE – Lake Superior State is thankful to be back from its arduous trip to Alaska and play its next two hockey series at home. The Lakers’ homestand begins with this weekend’s series against Upper Peninsula rival Northern Michigan and concludes Dec. 12-13 with a series against Nebraska-Omaha. This is the first time since the 1997-98 season and only the second time since 1983-84 that the Lakers and Wildcats won’t play back-to-back games in a home-and-home format. LSSU and NMU play at 7:05 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at Taffy Abel Arena. Both games will be broadcast live on Rock 101 with an audio webcast on www.rock101.net. A pay-per-view video feed is available on the B2 Network via www.lssulakers.com. Both teams are winless in their last three games and working to get back on the winning track. The Lakers (4-6-4 overall, 3-4-3-1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association) lost 4-1 Friday and tied 1-1 Saturday at Alaska, and dropped to 1-2 in shootouts against CCHA opponents. NMU (3-10-1 overall, 2-9-1 CCHA), which is playing without its Nos. 1 and 2 goaltenders, lost 6-4 and 2-1 at home to Ferris State last weekend. A top-four CCHA finish is a goal for the Lakers and not out of reach. They are currently tied for seventh place in the standings with Michigan, are only four points out of third place and have two games in hand on three of the teams above them in the standings. One of those teams is next week’s opponent, UNO, which takes on the Nanooks and their impressive defense this weekend. Fifth-ranked Miami is currently first in the standings with 19 points, followed by second-ranked Notre Dame with 16. Alaska, Ferris State and Ohio State have 14 points each, and UNO has 12. In addition to the Mavericks, LSSU has games in hand on FSU and OSU. Other CCHA matchups this weekend include Notre Dame at Ferris State, and 10th-place Michigan State vs. Michigan in a home-and-home series. Alaska was the first opponent this season to limit LSSU to less than two goals in a game and less than four goals in a series. Rick Schofield scored his first goal of the season for the Lakers’ only goal on Friday, while Troy Schwab tallied the lone goal Saturday. Josh Sim, who assisted on Schwab’s goal, has at least a point (4-4—8) in seven of the Lakers’ last eight games. LSSU points leader Zac MacVoy (6-7—13), has at least a point in 11 of 14 games. This weekend’s series gives NMU junior forward Ray Kaunisto of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., a chance to play in his hometown rink and take on his cousin, LSSU junior defenseman Steven Kaunisto. Ray Kaunisto is currently tied for fifth in points for the Wildcats with 3-2—5, while Steven Kaunisto has 1-9—10 and is the Lakers’ assist leader. Steven Kaunisto is currently tied for sixth in the CCHA in points by defensemen.