SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State (LSSU) hockey program (17-19-1) are set to face the top-seeded Bemidji State Beavers (19-15-2) in the CCHA Mason Cup Semifinals with a spot in the championship game on the line.

• LSSU took the lead in the all-time series this season 41-40-6 after taking three of their four matchups during the regular season. 
• The Lakers earned a weekend sweep over the Beavers in the Soo back in November with Connor Milburn (Kamloops, B.C.) scoring the game-winner in overtime in the Friday contest before LSSU powered ahead for a 5-1 victory the following day. When these two teams faced off again in Minnesota, the Beavers picked up a dominant 7-1 win, the largest margin of defeat this season for the Lakers, but LSSU flipped the script the next day to run away with a 6-1 win of their own to match what was ultimately their largest margin of defeat on the year as well (also lost 6-1 against St. Cloud twice).
• LSSU is coming off of their first game 3 victory in 17 years after Dawson Tritt (Spokane, Wash.) scored with 6.6 seconds to play to put away the Tommies of St. Thomas for good. 
• Milburn was named the CCHA Forward of the Week after recording five points in the Lakers' three-game series win over St. Thomas in the Mason Cup Quarterfinals.
• Bemidji State swept eighth-seeded Ferris State this past weekend after coming back from twice being down by two goals to tie the game in the final minute before winning game one in overtime. The Beavers picked up a 4-0 shutout the following day.
• The Beavers claimed four of the six slots on the 2024 All-CCHA First Team with Lleyton Roed, Kyle Looft, Eric Pohlkamp, and Mattias Sholl, but the Lakers boast three all-conference selections of their own in Westcott (first team), Milburn (second team), and John Herrington (Hudson's Hope, B.C.) (all-rookie).
• Milburn was named CCHA Co-Best Defensive Forward alongside Bemidji State's Jackson Jutting.
• Bemidji's Looft was also named CCHA-Best Defensive Defenseman.
• BSU's Sholl was named CCHA Goaltender of the Year.
• Westcott is currently leading the team in goal scoring with 18 and while being tied with Milburn for the team-lead in points with 35.
• Evan Bushy (Thief River Falls, Minn.) leads all Laker defensemen in scoring with 15 points (1G, 14A).
• Eleven different Lakers have recorded at least ten points so far this season, led by Westcott and C. Milburn's 35. Tritt (25), Timo Bakos (Augsburg, Germany) (24), Harrison Roy (Lakeville, Mass.) (24), Herrington (20), Carter Batchelder (Savage, Minn.) (15), Bushy (15), Ross Roloson (Woodbury, Minn.) (14), Nate Schweitzer (Champlin, Minn.) (13), and Branden Piku (Harrison Twp., Mich.) (10) have also reached double-digit scoring.