Sep 29, 2009

Lakers start official practices and play exhibition game Saturday

SAULT STE. MARIE - The Laker hockey team opens its season with a home exhibition game at 7:05 p.m. Saturday at Taffy Abel Arena against the Nipissing Lakers. Nipissing University, a member of the OUA (Ontario University Athletics), is in its inaugural season.

LSSU coaches also begin official practices with the team Saturday.

"We will have a full practice that morning and play Nipissing that night," LSSU coach Jim Roque said during "The Jim Roque Show," which aired Monday at Moloney's Alley. "There are things we haven't even talked about yet, like the five-on-threes and forecheck. I think this game will give us a starting point for Monday."

Nipissing will have played three exhibition games and Friday's OUA opener against Queens University prior to taking on LSSU. The Nipissing Lakers were 2-0 at last weekend's York Tournament with a 2-1 victory over Toronto and an 8-4 win against York.

Senior forward Zac MacVoy (14-12- -26), who tied for 13^th in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association in goal scoring in 2008-09, will be returning as one of LSSU's point leaders from last season. Also returning is sophomore Fred Cassiani (11-10- -21), junior Rick Schofield (9-12- -21) and senior Simon Gysbers (3-18- -21). Cassiani was ranked eighth in the CCHA in freshman scoring in 2008-09.

The Lakers lost 26 percent of their goal scoring from last season.

Seven out of eight defensemen return, including Gysbers and senior Steven Kaunisto (3-17- -20). Gysbers was ranked 11^th and Kaunisto 12^th in the CCHA in points by defensemen last season. The other defensemen are junior Tyson Hobbins, who played both defense and forward last season, junior Dillin Stonehouse, junior Matt Cowie, sophomore Kyle Haines, sophomore Kyle Pobur and freshman Zach Trotman.

"All of our defensemen are mobile," Roque said. "They skate a lot better than people give us credit for. I see the experience in the room with having older guys back."

Senior Pat Inglis (4-10-2), senior Mitch Edmondson and junior Brian Mahoney-Wilson (7-10-6) give the Lakers a veteran presence in goal this season. Inglis is ranked ninth (3.21) in LSSU career goals-against average through three seasons, while Mahoney-Wilson is eighth (2.82) through two seasons. Inglis is eighth (.898) in career save percentage, while Mahoney-Wilson is tied for second (.908).

Kaunisto and Schofield will serve as co-captains this season, while the assistant captains will be MacVoy and Gysbers.

"Leadership is excellent this year, and the captains will do a good job pushing the guys," said Roque.

The CCHA is adopting a new point system in 2009-10. Effective at the start of conference play on Oct. 23, a regulation or overtime victory will be worth three points in the league standings.

"We feel that this is a fairer system," CCHA Commissioner Tom Anastos said. "Now, all teams will have access to the same number of points throughout the regular season and every game is worth three points whether it is decided in regulation time, overtime or a shootout. We also feel this will give teams an added incentive to win a game in regulation time or overtime because they will gain the maximum number of points for doing so."

This season, a regulation or sudden-death overtime win will earn a team three points in the standings, a shootout victory will garner two points, a shootout loss will be rewarded by one point, and a loss in regulation or overtime will mean no points. So, any game that goes to a shootout will see the victor credited with a tie and a shootout win in the conference standings, while the loser will receive credit for a tie.

The Lakers' first official games are Oct. 9 at Minnesota-Duluth and Oct. 11 at Michigan Tech during their third appearance in the Superior Cup. They are 0-0-2 against UM-D and 0-2-0 against MTU in the Superior Cup.

Following the Superior Cup, LSSU is home for three straight series against Canisius (Oct. 16-17, Great Lake State Weekend), Ohio State (Oct. 23-24, Pink In the Rink) and Michigan (Oct. 30-31).

The Lakers' will be broadcast live on 99.5 Yes fm and a live pay-per-view video feed on the B2 network.

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