Lakers Ready to Take on No. 1 Minnesota State on the Road

Lakers Ready to Take on No. 1 Minnesota State on the Road

Game Notes

FOR STARTERS                                                                                                                                           

• Lake Superior State will travel to Mankato, Minn. to take on the No. 1 ranked team in the nation, and fellow Western Collegiate Hockey Association member, the Minnesota State Mavericks in a road series on Friday, Dec. 6 at 8:07 EST and Saturday, Dec. 7 at 7:07 EST at the Mankato Civic Center.

• The Lakers will play their third series against a top-five ranked team this season as they played No. 2 Denver, No. 4/5 Notre Dame and now the No. 1 ranked Minnesota State. 

• Lake Superior will look to record a win against a No. 1 ranked team for the first time since March 18, 1995 when the Lakers defeated No. 1 Michigan by a score of 5-4 in overtime in the CCHA Finals. 

• The series marks the first time the Lakers have played the nation's No. 1 ranked team since Oct. 20-21, 2017 when LSSU played Denver on the road. The Lakers lost the opening game and tied the series closer against the Pioneers. 

• Last weekend, the Lakers recorded a loss and a tie to the Bemidji State Beavers, dropping the first game by a final score of 4-1 and earning the extra conference point in Saturday night's game as Hampus Eriksson scored in the WCHA's second overtime to give the Lakers the extra league point. 

• LSSU's record sits at 5-12-1 overall and 3-6-1-1 in WCHA play after opening the season against some of the NCAA's stiffest competition including two games against No. 2 Denver, a pair of road games against the Michigan Wolverines as well as a road series against the No. 4/5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Lakers opened conference play with two wins against Ferris State on Nov. 1 and 2, and have rotated between home and road WCHA series since. 

• Lakers Head Coach Damon Whitten is in his sixth season behind the bench in Sault Ste. Marie. Whitten has led the team to a 71-116-20 record, including 23 wins in 2018-19.

• Lake Superior is coming off of the program's best season in 23 years, posting a 23-12-2 overall record and finishing fourth in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA).

LAST WEEKEND RECAP                                                                                                            

• In the first game of the series against the Beavers, senior captain Max Humitz netted the lone goal in the game for the Lakers when he scored his 51st career goal. Humitz's team-leading ninth goal of the season was his second ever shorthanded goal. Humitz leads the Lakers in points with 15, and is tied for fourth among all WCHA players in the category. 

• Humitz leads all current Lakers in career points with 91 (51G, 40A) in 126 career games, which also ranks first among his teammates. The Livonia, Mich. native leads all WCHA players in shots on goal this season with 70.

• Junior forward Alex Ambrosio recorded the assist on Humitz's goal to continue to add to his career highs in points (6) and assists (3), and scored points in consecutive games for the first time in his Laker career. Ambrosio is one of two players in the WCHA who have recorded at least two shorthanded points this season. 

• Laker goalie Mareks Mitens had a solid game in net despite the loss as he stopped 28 shots by the Beavers to post a .903 save percentage in the appearance. 

• In the series closer, the Lakers would trail by two goals entering the third period of play before Hampus Eriksson and Lukas Kaelble each scored a goal in the final twenty minutes of regulation time to force an overtime period. After neither team scored in the first five minute overtime, the game was considered a tie for NCAA purposes. However, for WCHA league standings, the teams played a five minute three-on-three second overtime when Eriksson would net his second goal of the night to secure the extra league point. 

• Eriksson's goal in the game was his third of the season which would duplicate the same stat line as his career high from the 2018-19 season when he scored three goals and 11 assists for 14 points. The Swedish forward has tied that point total through 18 games played this season. Eriksson ranks second in the WCHA in assists and is tied for fifth in the league in points.

• Sophomore defenseman Alec Semandel recorded his first point of the season as he assisted on Eriksson's goal. Semandel matched his previous season high in assists (1) with the helper. 

Lukas Kaelble would tie the game at two when he scored with 5:06 left to play in regulation against Bemidji. The junior defenseman's second goal of the season ties his previous career high.

• Kaelble's goal was assisted by Pete Veillette, who also notched an assist on Eriksson's goal to give him his second multi-point game of the season (2A). Veillette builds onto his career high totals in goals, assists and points as he reached double-digits in points (11) for the first time.

• The goal's other assist was credited to junior forward Yuki Miura, who also reached double-digits in points for the first time in his collegiate career. Miura ranks second on the Lakers in assists this season with eight. 

• Mitens finished the game with 31 saves to bring his weekend total to 59 stops against the Beavers and a combined weekend save percentage of .921. 

• Mitens leads all WCHA netminders with 407 saves this season and minutes played this season (957:43). No goaltender in the league has faced as many shots as Mitens has this season (460).

LAKERS VS. MINNESOTA STATE                                                                                        

●  The Lakers and the Mavericks will meet for their only series this season and the first time since Minnesota State knocked the Lakers out of the WCHA playoffs in the semifinals last spring.

● Last season, the teams met six times, with the Mavericks winning five of the meetings. However, the Lakers would hand the Mavericks their only loss at home of the 2018-19 season when Mareks Mitens posted a 29-save road shutout and Veillette scored for the Lakers in a 1-0 win. 

● In the all-time series between the two teams, the Mavericks hold the advantage by a record of 20-3-1 against the Lakers and 11-2-1 in games played in Mankato.

Max Humitz leads the Lakers in points against the Mavericks with seven career points (2G, 5A). Senior Brayden Gelsinger ranks second on the Lakers with three points (1G, 2A) in 10 career appearances against Minnesota State. 

● Seven Lakers have recorded one point against the Mavericks: Collin Saccoman, Hampus Eriksson, Jacob Nordqvist, Tyler Anderson, Will Riedell, Ashton Calder, and Pete Veillette

● In his three games played against Minnesota State, Mareks Mitens has recorded a loss, a win, and a non-decision.  His only win against the Mavericks was a shutout. 

SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS                                                                                           

• No. 1 Minnesota State is led by Mike Hastings, who is in his eighth season as the head coach of the Mavericks. Hastings has led Minnesota State to a 195-81-22 record which is the most in the nation in that span. 

• The Mavericks have played 14 games so far, including non-conference series against Arizona State and North Dakota earlier this season. Since beginning WCHA play on Oct. 25, the Mavericks have played eight conference games with only one loss which was in overtime on Nov. 1 against Bowling Green. Minnesota State is coming off a road sweep of defending national champion Minnesota Duluth. 

• Minnesota State holds a 12-1-1 overall record and a 7-1-0 WCHA record heading into this weekend's series against the Lakers. The Mavericks enter the series riding a seven game win streak and have held the No. 1 spot in the polls for four consecutive weeks.

• The Mavericks are led by senior captain Marc Michaelis who has posted seven goals and 10 assists for 17 points in 14 games this season. Michaelis was named the 2019-20 WCHA Preseason Player of the Year and is the NCAA's active career scoring leader. 

• Minnesota State is backstopped by sophomore goaltender Dryden McKay who has been named WCHA Goaltender of the Week four times this year. With a 2019-20 record of 11-1-1, McKay has posted a .955 save percentage this season and ranks first in the nation with a 1.14 goals against average. 

• Minnesota State's special teams have been dominant this season as the Mavericks power play is running at a 30.9% success rate while the penalty kill is fifth in the nation at 92.3%.

• Entering the 2019-20 season, Bemidji State was picked to finish first in both the WCHA in the Mankato Free Press WCHA Coaches Poll and the WCHA Preseason Media Poll.

TOP-FIVE MATCHUPS                                                                                                       

• The Lakers will play their third series against a top-five ranked team this season as they played No. 2 Denver, No. 4/5 Notre Dame and now the No. 1 ranked Minnesota State. 

• Lake Superior will look to record a win against a No. 1 ranked team for the first time since March 18, 1995 when the Lakers defeated No. 1 Michigan by a score of 5-4 in overtime in the CCHA Finals. 

• The series marks the first time the Lakers have played the nation's No. 1 ranked team since Oct. 20-21, 2017 when LSSU played Denver on the road. The Lakers lost the opening game and tied the series closer against the Pioneers. 

WHAT'S NEXT                                                                                                    

•Following this weekend's series, the Lakers will play one more WCHA series before the holiday break. Lake State will host No. 13/11 Bowling Green for pair of games on Friday, Dec. 13 at Saturday, Dec. 14. Both games are slated for a 7:07 p.m. start at Taffy Abel Arena. 

• The Lakers will resume play on Saturday, Dec. 28 at 4:00 p.m. against No. 15 Providence College at the TD Bank Catamount Cup in Burlington, Vt. Lake State will face off against tournament host, Vermont, on the second day of the tournament, Sunday, Dec. 29 at 7:00 p.m.

BALANCED ATTACK                                                                              

• The Lakers have four players among the top 25 scorers in the WCHA and two players in the top 11. The Laker offense has been evenly distributed this season as 20 players have recorded at least a point, 10 players with six or more points, five players with 10 or more points and two players recording 14 or more points. 

• 15 different players have registered a goal for the Lakers this season and all five game winning goals have been scored by different players.

• In the Lakers first weekend of conference play, 10 different players notched at least a point in the series with eight players recording two or more points during the pair of games. 

•13 Lakers notched at least one point against Merrimack, 10 players had two or more points, four players had three points and one had five points. Nine different players recorded at least one point in the Lakers game against Notre Dame on Oct. 26.

•Last season the Lakers had 13 players record 10 or more points with nine of those players returning this season. Eight players registered at least 22 points and five of them are returning members of the 2019-20 squad. 

• The Lakers also return one of three 30-plus point scorers from 2018-19 in Max Humitz (33 points). 

• 13 different players netted the game winning goal for the Lakers in 2018-19 - with 10 of those players returning to the lineup this year. 

OTHER INFORMATION                                                                                                                                    

• Tickets for home games are $14 for adults, $10  for seniors and $7 for children (under 17). LSSU students receive free admission and must possess a valid student ID.  For tickets, call or visit the Norris Center Ticket Office at 906-635-2601.

• The month of December will feature a special promotion during the Bowling Green series on Dec. 13-14. Kids ages 17 and under who are wearing a jersey (of any team!) will receive free admission to the game. More information on these events can be found on lssulakers.com.

• Every week Bill Crawford along with head coach Damon Whitten, the assistant coaches and players take a look at the Laker Hockey program.  A review of past games, a look ahead to future action and more information and insight on the team and players.  The show is live from the Antlers restaurant on East Portage Avenue every Tuesday night starting at 6 p.m. and can be heard on WKNW ESPN Radio 1400.

• Every home game and all road games against conference opponents will be available via live stream hosted by FloSports on WCHA.tv or at Buffalo Wild Wings in Sault Ste. Marie. Radio PxP from the voice of the Lakers, Bill Crawford, will be heard every game on 99.5 YES FM. 

• Laker Athletics will announce designated games that will include viewing parties at Buffalo Wild Wings. including the game this Friday, Dec. 6 when the Lakers play No. 1 ranked Minnesota State on the road. There will be special deals for any Lake State students that attend the watch party. 

• This season, Laker Hockey introduces Soo Brewing as the official pregame and The Wicked Sister as the official postgame spots.

• Follow Laker Hockey on social media all season long for news, updates and behind-the-scenes action. 

Twitter: @HockeyLSSU

Instagram: @LSSUHockey

Facebook: @lssuhockeyfans