SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - We caught up with men's hockey Head Coach Damon Whitten to discuss the upcoming season, how last year's season will impact Laker hockey going forward, the team's tough non-conference schedule and much more. The Lakers will open their 54th season of collegiate play this weekend against Merrimack College on Saturday, Oct. 5 and Sunday, Oct. 6 at Taffy Abel Arena.
Q: The 2019-20 season is set to begin in a few weeks, what can you tell us about the team's off-season and opening stretch of practices?
We felt as if it was a productive off-season. Nate Williams did a great job with our strength and conditioning program. The players had a personalized plan of what areas they needed to really focus on and we have seen good gains in those areas. Our baseline is where we need it to be to start the season. Practice wise we are learning a little bit more about our team each day. We have a strong leadership group between our captains and upperclassmen and they have demonstrated our expectations on and off the ice so we are off to a good start. There is a lot of excitement to finally hit the last week of preparation leading up to puck drop on the 2019-20 season.
Q: Last year, you coached the Lakers to their best season in 23 years. Because of that, expectations are high for this year's team. How do you use the team's success last season as a motivator to continue to improve the program?
Last year is last year. We haven't spent time with our current roster looking back at it. The biggest impact it will have is the confidence for our players to know that we can go out and compete with anybody in the country and that we are taking steps towards expecting to win every time we hit the ice. We will rely heavily on our leaders to foster those expectations. But with a new makeup and new season we are focused on this year.
Q: The first month of the season will be arguably the toughest stretch of the season in terms of the quality of competition with games against Merrimack, Denver, Michigan and Notre Dame. How important will it be to get off to a solid start against non-conference opponents?
It's a tremendous schedule and we are looking forward to the challenges it provides. For our end goal and for the steps we need to take, you need to play with and beat the best teams in the country and this will certainly give us a chance to do that. We have had a good non-conference record the last few years and we want to replicate that this season against some of the top teams in the country. We will learn a lot about our team early on and use those lessons to compete in the WCHA.
Q: The team graduated five players last spring, all who played a major role in terms of production and leadership. With that being said, the Lakers have a solid leadership group in place for the 2019-20 season with Max Humitz and Collin Saccoman as co-captains, and Brendan McKay and Lukas Kaelble wearing A's. How do you see this group leading the team through some key departures from last year as well as high expectations following last year's success?
We like this group a lot and they were all key pieces of the progress we have made with Laker hockey. Similar to last year's leaders, we will lean on them not only for their leadership on and off the ice but for stand out performances throughout the season. I believe your seniors and upperclassmen are critically important for team success and these guys are already proven impact players and now have the chance to take that final step for their individual play and as team leaders. We are confident in this group and look forward to the impact they will have on the upcoming season.
Q: There has been lots of talk about where this year's offense will come from with NCAA 2018-19 leading goal scorer Diego Cuglietta graduating. However, the Lakers will return three of their top five goal scorers from last season (Max Humitz, Brayden Gelsinger, Collin Saccoman) with Anthony Nellis also graduating. Between the number of returners who have the offensive potential and the addition of some highly skilled freshmen, what do you expect from this year's offense?
Our expectations have not changed with some of the key departures you mentioned. We are a team that is focused on playing with speed and possessing pucks to create offense. Although we lost some key contributors, we still have the ability and talent to produce offensively. As we've talked about previously our returners and upperclassmen will be a key to replicating what last year's seniors produced but we also have some incoming players who have the ability to contribute and spread the offense along with the development of our returners.
Q: The team's strength heading into the season would be the return of five out of six of your core defensemen. Even with Steven Ruggiero's departure, the Lakers return one of the most experienced groups on the back end in the nation with a combined 350 collegiate games played. What does that stability and experience do for the rest of the team? How important will their play be during the first month of the season?
There is no question that we have a deep and experienced D corp. With that experience and talent it will be really important for them to get off to a great start and anchor the team. We have 8 returning defensemen and many of them have been key contributors in all game situations. It's a great place to have that experience and we will rely on them to be ready to play early as we establish chemistry up front.
Q: With Mareks Mitens in net, the team will have confidence in knowing they have an experienced goaltender who has big game experience. What kind of season are you expecting from him and the rest of the team's goalies?
We feel as if Mareks is ready to take the next step at this level and give us that consistent ability to win games. Not only is he experienced at the NCAA level but he has also played some huge games representing Latvia on the international stage. Mareks has played against USA, Canada, Russia, and others on a big stage and he can use that experience to lead us in the crease this season. We have also seen good growth from Roman Bengert and he will look to earn some opportunities and compete with Seth Eisele for some starts in a deep goalie group.
Q: Seven freshmen join the team this season - four forwards, two defensemen, and a goaltender. Can you tell us a little bit about this year's incoming class?
It's a group we are excited about. Our Assistant Coaches, Mike York and Zack Cisek, did a great job of looking at what our needs were and filling those needs with talented student-athletes. A lot of these guys were leaders and top players from their respective junior teams and leagues and will look to make an impact from day one. We are in a much different spot than a few years ago when we had freshmen coming in and playing huge roles from day one. It's a deeper and more competitive team now and it's a fierce competition to climb the ladder in a top role. We can afford to be a little more patient with these guys now and bring them a long at a healthier pace then we were able to a few years back.
Q: Last season, attendance at the Taffy Abel was up 35%. What kind of lift does that atmosphere created by the fans from the community as well as the student section give the team?
What a season it was at Taffy Abel. We have such great fans from campus and in the Sault community and we want to thank them for their support. That support and growth had a large impact on our team. We have one of the best venues to play in across the country and when we have that kind of crowd support it has a huge impact on the players to be motivated and excited to entertain our great fans. We'd love to grow that by another 35% so we will be working hard to bring a great product to the ice and hope to see them all back at Taffy Abel Arena this upcoming weekend.
Q: Recently the Taffy Abel Arena got a few new flags added to the rafters to represent the countries of all the players on the team. With players from Sweden, Japan, Latvia, Slovakia, Germany, and France, how special is it as a coach to get to work with athletes from all around the world?
We have talked about adding the flags of the countries our student-athletes come from for a few years and it's long overdue. Mike York was the force behind completing that project and I want to thank him for getting that done along with our facilities crew. We had the players from those countries go up and hang their respective flags and the smiles on their faces were priceless. We are fortunate to get to teach and coach these student-athletes and when you throw in the diversity of our team it makes for a unique learning environment that is very rewarding.
Q: How much motivation did the WCHA playoff series win at home last season give the coaching staff and the players to not only make it back to that point this year but go further?
For me it just makes you hungrier….You want to host again and then host two rounds and put yourself in that situation where you have a chance to compete for a league championship. You taste that success and you're driven to repeat it and take the next step as well. We feel like it was a valuable lesson and one that our players can look back on to remind us all the steps and sacrifices that are necessary just to give your team a chance to be in that situation.
Q: Lake Superior was ranked 6th out of the 10 teams in the WCHA in both the coaches preseason poll as well as the media preseason poll. The WCHA is a very competitive league with a lot of parity but with that being said, how much does that ranking drive the team to prove those voters wrong?
It's a great question and I do think our guys are aware of the polls and can use it for a little extra motivation. Team wise it's not something we let distract us. We have faith and belief in our room. We have a process that we are trying to install and if we can do those things we will earn our success like last season.
Q: Last question, what are your goals for the 2019-20 Laker Hockey season?
Our team plays a big role in setting expectations for the season and for us it's important that they are the ones who take ownership of those goals and expectations. However, our focus is more on the daily approach of the habits of our staff and players. Our players have provided a blueprint of the standards we expect of each other on a daily basis. When we hold each other accountable to those standards great things become possible and that is where our focus lies. If we do the things we ask of each other on a daily basis the results tend to follow and that is the goal we are focused on with Laker hockey for the 19-20 season.
For more information, visit lssulakers.com
For tickets and information on the "Kids-Free Weekend" promotion for opening weekend, click here or call 906-635-2601.
Follow Laker hockey on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for news and updates.