ANCHORAGE, Alaska. – Lake Superior State hockey earned its sixth consecutive victory with a 3-1 win at Alaska Anchorage in Western Collegiate Hockey Association play on Saturday night at Sullivan Arena.
With the win, Lake Superior State has won its last six games, which is the longest winning streak for the Lakers since the 2009-10 season when they won six games from Dec. 4 to Jan. 3.
Lake Superior State (13-6-1, 8-5-1-0 WCHA) scored the only two goals of the first period to take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. Lake State weathered an early surge by Alaska Anchorage (2-17-1, 1-12-1-0 WCHA) and applied more offensive pressure as the period went on. The Lakers' offensive pressure paid off when senior center Diego Cuglietta, the reigning WCHA Forward of the Week, scored his WCHA-leading 15th goal of the season at 14:20 of the first period. Freshman winger Ashton Calder and sophomore defenseman Tyler Anderson assisted on the play. The Laker offense struck again 36 seconds later when junior winger Bryan Basilico scored his third goal of the season, assisted by junior center Brendan McKay and junior defenseman Steven Ruggiero, at 14:56.
In the second period, each team scored once to make the score 3-1 going into the second intermission. Jonah Renhouf tallied a power-play marker for the Seawolves to make the score 2-1 at 14:01. However, the Lakers responded with increased offensive pressure, which led to McKay scoring his first goal of the season to make the score 3-1 at 16:57. Sophomore winger Chase Gamelin picked up the lone assist on McKay's goal.
Neither team scored in the third period as the Lakers went on to win 3-1.
Sophomore netminder Mareks Mitens (3-4-0) made 30 saves in net with a .968 save percentage on the evening for the Lakers. Brody Claeys (2-5-1) recorded 27 saves for the Seawolves.
Lake Superior State went 0-of-2 on the power play and Alaska Anchorage finished 1-of-3 with the man advantage.
The Lakers have an 11-1-0 record in road and neutral-site games this season, which is the best such record in the nation.
In addition to leading the WCHA in goals scored, Cuglietta is also second in the nation in goals scored and ranks tied for third in goals per game (0.75). Cuglietta has tallied a point in each game during the win streak as he recorded eight goals and two assists for 10 points during the streak.
With their six points this weekend, Lake Superior State sits in fifth place in the WCHA standings with 25 points.
The Lakers return home against Alabama Huntsville on Jan. 11-12. Friday, Jan. 11 is Buck-A-Brat Night at Taffy Abel Arena. All game long, fans will be able to purchase brats for just $1 each. Tickets may be purchased at the Norris Center Ticket Office or online. For additional ticket information, call (906) 635-2602.
On Friday, Jan. 25, Laker Hockey will host the ninth annual 'White Out' domestic and sexual violence awareness night, in partnership with the Diane Peppler Center and the Sexual Violence Prevention Team of the Eastern Upper Peninsula. The first 1,000 fans to enter the Taffy Abel Arena will receive a free shirt to wear at the game.
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