SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – No. 18 Lake Superior State hockey returns home to face Alabama Huntsville in a two-game Western Collegiate Hockey Association series at Taffy Abel Arena.
Lake Superior State (13-6-1, 8-5-1-0 WCHA) and Alabama Huntsville (4-18-0, 4-10-0-0 WCHA) are slated to play at 7 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday.
Buck-A-Brat
Friday 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.
Broadcast
This weekend's games are being streamed on FloHockey.TV. Bill Crawford's play-by-play can also be heard on 99.5 Yes FM.
Winning Streak
With their 5-2 and 3-1 wins at Alaska Anchorage on Friday and Saturday, respectively, No. 18 Lake Superior State extended its winning streak to six games — the longest winning streak for the Lakers since the 2009-10 season when they won six games from Dec. 4 to Jan. 3. The last winning streak of at least seven games for the Lakers was in 1996-97 when they won 10 consecutive games.
2019 Hockey Humanitarian Award Nominee
Senior goaltender Nick Kossoff (10-2-1) is one of 17 nominees for the 2019 Hockey Humanitarian Award, as announced on Thursday. The award is presented annually to college hockey's finest citizen — a student-athlete who makes significant contributions not only to his or her team but also to the community-at-large through leadership in volunteerism.
Senior center Diego Cuglietta (15-6--21) was named the NCAA Third Star of the Week, as announced by NCAA officials on Tuesday.
Cuglietta helped lead No. 18 Lake Superior State to four consecutive wins on the week, including being named the MVP of the Great Lakes Invitational. He scored two goals, including the overtime game winner, in the Lakers' 4-3 victory over Michigan State in the semifinals of the GLI on Dec. 30. In the championship game against WCHA foe Michigan Tech on Dec. 31, he added two more goals in the 6-3 win. In WCHA play this past weekend in Alaska, Cuglietta tallied two more goals as Lake State swept Alaska Anchorage with 5-2 and 3-1 results on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Cuglietta is on a six-game point streak that has coincided with the Lakers' six-game winning streak. Over the streak that dates back to the Lakers' 4-1 win at Alaska on Dec. 7, Cuglietta has recorded eight goals and two assists for 10 points. Entering the week, his eight goals are the most in the nation over that span and his 10 points are in a three-way tie for the second most.
Cuglietta's 15 goals scored are second in the nation this season – trailing only Arizona State's Johnny Walker (18-8--26)
Cuglietta enters the weekend as the Lakers' active leader in career goals (40) and points (80). His 40 career assists are second to senior winger Anthony Nellis (11-10--21), who has 36 career goals and 43 assists for 79 collegiate points.
Balanced Scoring
Sixteen different Lakers have scored a goal in 2018-19, including 11 players with multiple goals. Senior center Diego Cuglietta (15-6--21) leads the team in goals scored followed by senior winger Anthony Nellis (11-10--21). Junior defenseman Collin Saccoman (7-8--15) – the leading goal scorer among WCHA defensemen – is third on the team.
Scoring Streak
Junior winger Bryan Basilico (3-1--4) has scored a goal in each of the Lakers' last three games, including scoring the game-winning goals in the Lakers' 6-3 win over Michigan Tech in the Great Lakes Invitational Championship Game on Dec. 31 and their 3-1 win at Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.
Home Cooking
The Lakers look to improve upon their 2-5-1 home record. Three of Lake State's home losses have come against ranked opponents as they dropped one game to then-No. 12 ranked Michigan (Nov. 3) and two games to then-No. 4 ranked Minnesota State (Nov. 30-Dec. 1).
Road Success
Lake State is 9-1-0 (.900) in true road games this season and 11-1-0 when playing away from Taffy Abel Arena. The Lakers' lead the nation in both road winning percentage (.900) and road/neutral-site winning percentage (.917).
Head Coach Damon Whitten's Preview
Looking Ahead
LSSU travels to Mankato, Minnesota to face No. 7/8 Minnesota State in a two-game WCHA series on Jan.18-19 at Verizon Center. The Lakers' next home series is against WCHA foes Bemidji State on Jan. 25-26.
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 Taffy Abel Arena will receive a free shirt to wear at the game.
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