FOR STARTERS • The Lakers will match up against No. 10 Bemidji State in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Playoff Quarterfinals for the second consecutive season as the Lakers travel to Bemdiji, Minn. for the best-of-three series on Friday, March 6, Saturday, March 7 and Sunday, March 8. Friday's game is scheduled for an 8:07 p.m. ET puck drop while Saturday's game is set to be played at 7:07 p.m. ET. If necessary, Sunday's deciding game will be played at 7:07 p.m. ET.
• Last weekend, the Lakers wrapped up the regular season with a road series against the Ferris State Bulldogs. Lake State swept the pair of games, winning by a final score of 5-0 on Friday night and followed with a 4-2 win over the Bulldogs on Saturday.
• During the Lakers historic game played in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario on Feb. 15, the team clinched a berth in the WCHA playoffs for the second straight season.
• The Lakers finished the 2019-20 season with a 13-21-4 overall record and an 11-13-4 record in conference play for a seventh place finish with a total of 41 points. LSSU opened 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 rotated through home anf away WCHA series since, including an away series against No. 1 Minnesota State. In the month of December, five of the six games the Lakers played in were against ranked opponents. Following a non-conference holiday tournament in Vermont, the Lakers have been back to conference play.
• Lakers Head Coach Damon Whitten is in his sixth season behind the bench in Sault Ste. Marie. Whitten has led the team to a 79-125-23 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 • The Lakers played a strong overall game on Friday night, scoring five goals while also combining for a shutout. Laker netminder Mareks Mitens posted his second shutout of the season, and the fifth of his career as he stopped all 21 shots he faced in his 12th win of the season.
• Brayden Gelsinger opened the scoring in Friday's game and his third goal of the season would prove to be the game winner over the Bulldogs. After missing the first 18 games of the season due to injury, Gelsinger has been solid as of late recording six points in the last five games (2G, 4A). The senior forward would add an assist on the game's second goal to record his second multi-point game of the season and also added an assist in Saturday's win.
• Ashton Calder, who tallied the lone assist on Gelsinger's goal, would score the second goal of the game for the Lakers. Calder registered his third career three point game as he would add an assist on the game's third goal. All three of Calder's three point games have come against Ferris State. The sophomore added another assist in Saturday's game to bring his season total to 24 points this season, with 10 points coming in the month of February.
• Defenseman Will Riedell's impressive month continued as he scored his first point of the series with his career-best fourth goal of the season to give the Lakers a 3-0 lead.
• Brendan McKay, who also had a career month in February, scored his fourth goal of the season and his second shorthanded goal of the month in Friday's win. With the goal, McKay surpassed his previous season high in goals (3).
• Both Hampus Eriksson and Jacob Nordqvist posted multi-assist efforts in the win as each notched two assists. Eriksson's season assist total sits at 18, which ranks second among all Lakers. The junior forward has set new highs this season in goals (5), assists (18) and points (23) this season. Nordqvist finished the weekend with three assists to bring his season total up 13 points (2G, 11A).
• In Saturday's 4-2 win, freshman Dustin Manz netted his second goal of the season, and his first career power play goal, to open the game's scoring.
• Goaltender Roman Bengert registered his first career win on Saturday as he stopped 34 of the 36 shots he faced in the game against the Bulldogs.
• Riedell, who assisted on the game's opening goal, would score the go-ahead goal in the second period to bring his season total up to five goals - a new career high. With the three point weekend, Riedell has continued to build upon career highs in assists (11) and points (16), finishing the month of February with nine points in eight games (3G, 6A).
• Pete Veillette scored the final goal in both games for the Lakers to bring his season total up to 12 goals and 24 points, which are both career highs for the sophomore. .
• Freshman Louis Boudon was named the WCHA's Rookie of the Week following his four point effort in the series which included an assist in Friday's win and a three point game on Saturday night (1G, 2A). Boudon recorded his third three-point game of the season as he assisted on the go-ahead goal in the late stages of the first period, scored the game winning goal while on the power play, and would assist on the Lakers final goal.
• Max Humitz, who notched two assists in Saturday's game, leads the team in goals with 19 and points with 32 this season. The senior hit the 30-point mark for the second consecutive season.
MILESTONES, CAREER HIGHS & LEAGUE LEADERS
• Max Humitz set a new career high in single season goals (19) with a pair of goals in the Lakers 6-1 win on Feb. 21. The Livonia, Mich. native leads all WCHA players in shots on goal this season with 145. Humitz is tied for third in the WCHA in goals and is tied for sixth in points among all conference players.
• On Feb. 21, Humitz became the 22nd Laker all-time to to reach 60 goals and the first since Sean Tallaire in the 1994-95 season. In the series, Humitz also hit the 30 point mark for the second consecutive season.
• Veillette has set new career highs in goals (12), assists (12) and points (24). In addition to his three game winning goals this season, Veillette has also scored twice in the second overtime for the Lakers this season.
• Ashton Calder set a new career high in goals with 11, following his game winning goal against Northern Michigan on Feb. 21. Calder has improved on that high as he currently sits at 12 while also setting a new career high in points with 26.
• Hampus Eriksson would set a new career high in goals when he scored his fifth of the season on Jan. 25 against the Seawolves. Eriksson has set new career highs in points (23) and assists (18) as well. The junior forward has surpassed the 20 point plateau for the first time in his career.
•Freshman forward Louis Boudon leads the team in assists with 20 this season. Boudon, who has 26 points in his first collegiate season, is second among WCHA freshmen in points and sixth among all NCAA freshmen in assists.
• In the game on Jan. 25 against UAA, Humitz recorded his 100th career point as a Laker with a goal. The goal tied his previous season-high in goals (16).
• Laker goaltender Mareks Mitens registered his career-best 12th win of the season on Friday, Feb. 28 against Ferris while also posting his second shutout of the season. Earlier this season, Mitens posted his first shutout of the year while also adding his first career point as he tallied an assist.
•Mitens has made 891 saves and faced 982 shots this season, both rank second in the WCHA. The Laker goalie has played more minutes (2114:13) than any other NCAA goaltender in 2019-20.
• Junior forward Yuki Miura leads the Lakers with 32 blocked shots this season and leads all WCHA forwards in the category.
LAKERS VS. BEMIDJI STATE
• The Lakers and Bemidji State Beavers will meet for the third time this season. The teams met twice in the month of November with the Lakers traveling to Bemidji on Nov. 8 and 9 and a home series on Nov. 29 and 30 in Sault Ste. Marie.
• The Lakers will match up against the Beavers in the WCHA Quarterfinals for the second straight season. In last year's playoff series, the Lakers, as the No. 4 seed, defeated Bemidji, the No. 5 seed, in back-to-back games. This season, the Lakers trail in the season series against Bemdiji, 0-3-1, with the most recent game between the teams ending in a 2-2 tie.
• In the all-time series between the two teams, the Lakers hold the advantage by an overall record of 33-29-15 against the Beavers.
• Against Bemidji State, Max Humitz leads the teams with nine goals in 14 games, while Ashton Calder and Hampus Eriksson rank first among active Lakers with four career assists against the Beavers. Last season,
● Against Bemidji this season, eight Lakers have recorded a point: Humitz, Eriksson, Ambrosio, Miura, Basilico, Semandel, Veillette, and Kaelble.
SCOUTING THE BEAVERS
• Bemidji State is led by Tom Serratore, who entered his 19th season as the head coach of the Beavers this season.
• The Beavers have played 34 games this season, compiling an overall record of 20-9-5 and a WCHA record of 20-5-3-2. Bemidji is coming off a weekend split against Minnesota State, to finish second overall in the WCHA with 65 points. Since Jan. 1, the Beavers have posted a record of 12-2-2, which is the third best winning percetange in that span in the nation.
• The Beavers are led by goaltender Zach Driscoll, who is 19-7-4 in net in 2019-20. His .937 save percentage and 1.62 goals against average rank third in the country. He is 19-5-3 versus the WCHA and is second in the league in save percentage (.944) and GAA (1.48).
• Adam Brady leads the team in goals with 17 and points with 31 while Owen Sillinger and Elias Rosen are tied for first on the team with 18 assists.
• Bemidji's special team play this season has been solid as the team has a penalty kill percentage of 90.3% while the power play is running at a 25.0% success rate.
BALANCED ATTACK
• The Lakers have five players among the top 30 scorers in the WCHA. The Laker offense has been evenly distributed this season as 24 players have recorded at least a point, 9 players with 12 or more points, five players with 23 or more points and one player recording 30 points.
• Among the players with 10 or more points, seven have either set new season high totals or tied previous highs. Max Humitz set a new season high in goals (19). Ashton Calder has set new career highs in goals (12) and points (26). Pete Veillette has set new career highs in goals (12), assists (12) and points (24). Yuki Miura has set highs in assists (12) and points (14) while tying his previous goal total (2). Hampus Eriksson's 23 points is a new career high as are his assists (18) and goals (5). Will Riedell set new career highs in assists (10) and points (13). Lukas Kaelble tied his previous season high in goals (2).
• 20 different players have registered a goal for the Lakers this season and the 11 game winning goals have been scored by seven different players this season.
• 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.
ANCHORED DOWN
• The Lakers returned five of their top six defensemen from last season as well as two goaltenders to provide a solid back end presence for the team heading into the 2019-20 season.
• Will Riedell, who was named WCHA Defenseman of the Week on Feb. 10, after recording four points against Michigan Tech, as well as WCHA Defenseman of the Month on March 3, has posted five goals and 11 assists this season to lead the Laker defense. Riedell has set new season highs in goals, assists and points (16). The defenseman has recorded four multi-point games this season, including a career-best three assists on Feb. 7.
• Lukas Kaelble and Jacob Nordqvist are tied for second in points among Laker defenseman with 12. Kaelble's most recent point was an assist in the 6-1 win against Northern Michigan on Feb. 21. Kaelble has tied his previous season high in goals (2) this season. Nordqvist has tallied assists in four of the last five games.
• Mitchell Oliver ranks fourth among Laker defensemen in assists with seven this season. Oliver was named to the All-Tournament Team for his play in the Catamount Cup.
• Senior captain Collin Saccoman has posted nine points including six goals and three assists in 17 games this season. Saccoman has scored three power play goals and has also recorded 23 blocked shots this season.
• Earlier this season, Saccoman scored five goals in a three game span and notched his first multi-goal game of his career against Notre Dame on Oct. 26. Saccoman is second on the team in goals, which half of have come on the power play this year.
• In the opening weekend of the 2019-20 season, the Lakers defensemen proved to be the same steady force that they were last season with five defensemen all tallying a point against the Warriors and five of them having multi-point weekends.
• Three game-winning goals this season have been scored by Laker d-men (Nordqvist (2), Saccoman).
• Four of the last year's regulars recorded at least 11 points - Will Riedell (11), Nordqvist (18), Kaelble (23) and Saccoman (25).
BETWEEN THE PIPES
• Laker goaltender Mareks Mitens has made 891 saves and faced 982 shots this season, both rank second in the WCHA. The Laker goalie has played more minutes (2114:13) than any other NCAA goaltender in 2019-20.
• Mitens posted his second shutout of the season, and the fifth of his career as he stopped all 21 shots he faced in his 12th win of the season on Friday, Feb. 28 at Ferris State.
•Roman Bengert registered his first career win on Saturday, Feb. 29 as he stopped 34 of the 36 shots he faced in the game against Ferris State.
• On Friday, Feb. 14, Mitens would record his first shutout of the 2019-20 season, and the fourth of his career, as he stopped all 27 shots he faced in the 65 minutes of play in a 0-0 tie against Alabama Huntsville.
• Mitens stopped 39 shots against Michigan Tech on Feb. 7 to set a new season-high in saves and also recorded his first career point as he assisted on Calder's shorthanded goal.
• With the win against Alaska Anchorage on Jan. 5, Mitens set a new career-high in wins in a season (7).
• Mitens led the Lakers to an overtime win against No. 10 Bowling Green on Dec. 14, as he stopped 29 shots by the Falcons in the game. Mitens finished the weekend stopping 64 of the 67 shots he faced to post a weekend save percentage of .950 and a 1.50 goals against average. Mitens was named WCHA Goaltender of the Week for his play in the series.
• In the Dec. 13 games against No. 10 Bowling Green, Mitens allowed one goal in the loss as he made 35 saves in the game.
• Mitens would earn his fifth win of the season in the game as he stopped 29 shots by the Bowling Green Falcons for the victory. During the series, Mitens would record his 1,000th career save as a Laker.
• Roman Bengert got the start in goal for the Lakers in the Oct. 26 game against Notre Dame. The game, which ended in a 6-4 Laker defeat, marked Bengert's his first career start for the Lakers. Bengert would stop a career-high 24 shots in the contest. Bengert would start his second career game on Nov. 9 at Bemidji State.
• Mitens started the first seven straight games this season for the Lakers, which included a home series against Merrimack, a pair of home games against No. 2 Denver, a road series against Michigan and the first game of a two-game series at Notre Dame. Mitens posted a 2-5-0 record through that stretch.
• In the opening series of the season, goaltender Mareks Mitens was solid in net for the Lakers as he stopped 52 of the 57 shots he faced from the Warriors, including a penalty shot save in the first game. It marked the first time in Mitens' career that he has posted back-to-back wins in a weekend series.
• Laker netminder Mareks Mitens earned his second set of back-to-back wins this season as he backstopped the team to a pair of wins against Ferris State at home on Nov. 1 & 2.
• Mareks Mitens appeared in 11 games for the Lakers in 2018-19, including a shutout on the road against Minnesota State.