Game Notes

For Starters                                                                                                                                                                                

• Lake Superior State (6-3-3, 0-2-0) will return to the ice this weekend after a two-week pause in competition due to COVID-19 protocols going into effect within the LSSU hockey program. The Lakers will host the Northern Michigan Wildcats in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) series on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 5:07 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 7 at 3:07 p.m. at the Taffy Abel Arena in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. 
• The Lakers series that were originally scheduled for Jan. 22 and 23 at Michigan Tech and Jan. 29 and 30 at Bemidji State were both postponed as a result of COVID-19 protocols.
• In the team's last series, then No. 19 ranked Lakers dropped both games in a series against the then No. 5/4 ranked Minnesota State Mavericks in the team's first WCHA series of the 2020-21 season. Lake Superior State fell by a final score of 3-0 on Friday, Jan. 15 and followed with a 6-2 overtime loss on Saturday, Jan. 16. 
• For the 11th straight week, the Lakers have received votes in at least one of the two national polls (USCHO and the USA Today). On three occasions this season, the Lakers have been ranked in the USCHO National Poll (No. 20, No. 19), marking the first national ranking for the program since the 2018-19 season. 
• The Lakers returned for the program's 55th season in 2020-21 following a seventh place finish in the WCHA standings during the 2019-20 season as the team posted a 14-23-4 overall record and an 11-14-4 record in conference play. LSSU qualified for the WCHA postseason for the second consecutive season and would fall to the second seeded Bemidji State in the first round of the playoffs.
• Lakers Head Coach Damon Whitten begins his seventh season behind the bench in Sault Ste. Marie in 2020-21. Whitten has led the team to a 86-129-27 record, and playoff appearances in all but one season. 

Last Time Out                                                                                                     

• In Friday's 3-0 loss, the Lakers and the Mavericks played to a scoreless tie through the first half of the game before the Mavericks netted a power play goal, the eventual game winner, to take a 1-0 lead. Minnesota State would add a second goal later in the period and would clinch the win with an empty net goal. 
• Laker goalie Mareks Mitens stopped 24 of the 26 shots he faced in the game against the Mavericks to record his second loss of the season in his 11th start in goal. 
• On Saturday evening, the Lakers and the Mavericks played to a 6-2 final, in favor of the visiting team. The Mavericks opened the scoring with two goals in the first period and would add the first two goals in the second period to take a 4-0 lead over the Lakers. After the fourth goal was scored, Mitens was pulled from goal after stopping 26 of the 30 shots he faced in 30:49 of playing time. 
• Junior forward Miroslav Mucha got the Lakers on the board with his fourth goal of the season. With the goal, Mucha set a new season high in goals with four. Ashton Calder recorded the lone assist on the play.
• With the Lakers down by two skaters, Yuki Miura scored a five-on-three goal to make the score 4-2 at 15:41 of the second period. Miura's goal, which was scored on a breakaway, ties his previous season high in goals with two. Lukas Kaelble and Hampus Eriksson registered the assists on the goal.
• Freshman goaltender Ethan Langenegger played the final 29:11 minutes of the game and stopped 25 of the 27 shots he faced. 
• This season, the Lakers power play has gone 3-for-50, totaling a 6.0% success rate while the team's penalty kill has killed 47 of 55 power play opportunities (85.5%). 

In the Polls                                                                                    

• For the 11th straight week, the Lakers have received votes in at least one of the two national polls (USCHO and the USA Today). On three occasions this season, the Lakers have been ranked in the USCHO National Poll (No. 20, No. 19), marking the first national ranking for the program since the 2018-19 season. 
• In the WCHA Preseason Polls,  Lake Superior State was picked to finish in the sixth spot in both polls, receiving 49  total points in the 2020-21 WCHA Preseason Coaches Poll and 44 total points in the 2019-20 WCHA Preseason Media Poll.

Balanced Attack                                                                                

• 18 Lakers have notched at least a point this season and eight players have recorded at least five points through the first ten games of the season. 11 skaters have scored a goal for the Lakers this season with four of them scoring three or more goals. 
• The Lakers have three players within the top 30 scorers in the WCHA (Calder, Kaelble, Veillette). 
• Lake Superior State's skaters will return 60% of last season's goal scoring (58 of 96 total goals), 81% of last season's assist totals (142 of 176 total assists) and 74% of the total points recorded (200 of 272 total points). 
• Four of the Lakers top five goal scorers from last season are back this season (Calder, Veillette, Boudon, Eriksson), nine of the top 10 assist scorers (Boudon, Eriksson, Calder, Veillette, Riedell, Miura, Nordqvist, Kaelble, Oliver), and nine of the top 10 point getters (Calder, Boudon, Veillette, Eriksson, Riedell, Miura, Nordqvist, Kaelble, Manz). 
• LSSU had five players among the top 33 scorers in the WCHA last season, with all but one returning to the lineup this season. 
• Last season the Lakers had nine players record 10 or more points with eight of those skaters returning this season. Five players registered at least 24 points and four of them are returning members of the 2020-21 squad. 
• Nine different players netted the game winning goal for the Lakers in 2019-20 - with six of those players returning to the lineup this year. 

Anchored Down                           

• The Lakers return a strong back end presence with five defensemen who played 30 or more games last season as well as the team's starting goaltender, Mareks Mitens.
• Heading into the 2020-21 season, the returning Laker defensemen combine for 357 career collegiate games played while adding 22 goals, and 94 assists for a total of 116 points.
• Senior defenseman Lukas Kaelble, the Laker captain, has recorded 12 multi-point games in his career, including three this season. Most recently, the defenseman posted a two assist game at Northern Michigan on Jan. 8 in the Lakers 4-1 win. 
• Kaelble leads the Lakers in assists this season with nine and is second on the team in points (9). The Laker captain is tied for fourth among all WCHA defensemen in points (9) and is ninth among all WCHA skaters in assists this season.
• The senior strung together a three game point streak (0-5-5) earlier this season, spanning from Nov. 29 at Adrian to Dec. 6 against UAH, and heads into the series against the Wildcats with four assists in the Lakers last four games. 
• Kaelble was awarded the team's Most Valuable Defenseman at the close of the 2019-20 season. The defenseman played in all 41 games for the Lakers last season and totaled 12 points (2G, 10A). Kaelble led the Lakers in blocked shots with 39. 
• Senior defenseman Will Riedell scored his first goal of the season on Nov. 27 in the Lakers 5-3 win over Adrian College and would add an assist later in the game to record his first multi-point game of the season. Riedell's second multi-point game of the season and the 10th of his career came on Jan. 3 against Bemidji as he scored the game's opening goal and assisted on the game tying goal. 
• With seven points (2G, 5A) this season, Riedell is tied for ninth among WCHA defensemen in points.
• On Thursday, Dec. 3, Will Riedell was named WCHA Defenseman of the Month for his play in the month of November. Riedell led all WCHA defenseman in points (3) and was tied for second in points among all NCAA defensemen. Among WCHA defensemen, Riedell was tied for first in goals (1) and assists (2) while also ranking second in plus/minus (+4).
• Riedell is coming off a career year as he appeared in all 41 games for the Lakers during the 2019-20 season and set personal highs in all offensive categories. The alternate captain recorded five goals, 13 assists and 18 points and ranked first among Laker defensemen in assists and points. 
• Riedell led the team with a +13 rating and registered five multi-point games, including a career-best three point game (3A) on Feb. 7 at Michigan Tech. His best month of the season came in February as he  recorded nine points (3G, 6A) in eight games and was named WCHA Defenseman of the Week on Feb. 10 and was the WCHA Defenseman of the Month for February.
• Junior Jacob Nordqvist and junior Mitchell Oliver round out the remaining upperclassmen returning on the blue line for the Lakers. Nordqvist played in 35 games for the Lakers in 2019-20 and finished the season with 13 points (2G, 11A). He was tied for second on the team in game winning goals with two. This season, the Swedish defenseman has four points, all assists, in 12 games played. 
• Oliver competed in 38 games for the Lakers last season and recorded eight assists.  In his first game back into the lineup this season following an off-season injury, Oliver scored the shootout winning goal in the fifth round of the Lakers 2-2 tie against UAH on Dec. 5. The junior defender scored his first career goal, which proved to be the game winning goal, in the Lakers 4-1 win over the NMU Wildcats on Jan. 8. Oliver added an assist in the game to record his first multi-point game of the season and the second of his career. 
• Three of last year's regulars recorded at least 12 points - Will Riedell (18), Nordqvist (13), and Kaelble (12).

Between the Pipes                                                                                                                              

• Senior goaltender Mareks Mitens has started all 12 games this season for the Lakers, posting a 4-3-3 record with a 1.92 goals against average and a .932 save percentage.
• Mitens ranks fourth among WCHA goaltenders in goals against average (1.92), third in minutes played (623:57), third in saves (275), and fourth in save percentage (.932) this season. 
• Mitens has allowed two or fewer goals in all but two of his 12 appearances this season. 
• Freshman goaltender Ethan Langenegger has played in three games for the Lakers this season, including his first career appearance on Nov. 29 against Adrian. Langenegger earned his first colleigiate win on Dec. 6 against Alabama Huntsville as the freshman goalie played the final twenty minutes of the 3-2 game.
• Sophomore goaltender Seth Eisele entered the game for the Lakers at the start of the third period on Nov. 22 against Michigan Tech anad saved all seven shots he faced from the Huskies. Eisele, who recorded an assist on Calder's goal, earned his first collegiate win in his first appearance in net as a Laker. 
• For his play in the Lakers series against Northern Michigan on Jan. 2 and 3,  Mitens was named the WCHA  Goaltender of the Week, his third league award of the season. The senior goalie stopped 59 of the 62 shots he faced from the NMU Wildcats to record a 1.50 goals against average and a .952 save percentage in the series. Mitens led all WCHA netminders in both goals against average and save percentage over the weekend, and was one of two goaltenders in the league this week to record two wins. 
• On Thursday, Dec. 3, Mareks Mitens was named WCHA Goaltender of the Month for his play in the month of November. Mitens allowed five goals over the course of four games for the Lakers, posting a 2-0-1 record which included his sixth career shutout on Nov. 21 in a 0-0 tie against Michigan Tech. Among WCHA goaltenders in the month of November, the senior netminder ranked first in minutes played (204:33), first in saves made (77), first in shots faced (82), first in wins (2), and tied for first in shutouts (1). 
• Mitens was awarded the WCHA's Goaltender of the Week award for his play against Michigan Tech on Nov. 21-22, as he stopped 41 of the 42 shots he faced in 105:00 minutes in net. The senior goalie finished the weekend with a .976 save percentage and a 0.57 goals against average. 
• Mitens will backstop the Lakers this season, following a strong 2019-20 season in net (2.57 GAA, .911%). Mittens appeared in 39 games, making 38 starts and finished the season with a career-best 13 wins.
• Mitens ranked first among all WCHA goaltenders in games played and games started, and played more minutes (2291:59) than any other NCAA netminder in 2019-20. The Ventspils, Latvia native, who finished the season with 1,002 saves, was one of three NCAA goalies to make 1000 or more saves last season.
• The netminder finished the season in fifth place among WCHA goalies in save percentage and seventh place among that same group in goals against average 
• Mitens was named WCHA Goaltender of the Week on Dec. 16. 2019 after stopping 64 of 67 shots against No. 10 Bowling Green in a weekend split.
• In the final month of the regular season, Mitens recorded a pair of shutouts (2/14/20 vs. UAH, 2/28/20 at Ferris State) to bring his career shutout total to five. The Laker goalie would go on to stop a season-high 45 shots in the Lakers 5-3 win over Bemidji State in game two of the WCHA Quarterfinals last season. 
• Mitens appeared in 11 games for the Lakers in 2018-19 and 19 games in his freshman season in 2017-18. 

Lakers vs. Northern Michigan                                                                                  

• Lake Superior State and Northern Michigan will meet for the second time this season as the Lakers and the Wildcats played a non conference series with the Lakers winning both games in Marquette on Jan. 8 and 9. LSSU won the first game by a final score of 4-1 and followed with a thrilling 3-2 win in overtime in the second game of the series. 
• For their play in the series against Northern Michigan, Pete Veillette and Mareks Mitens received WCHA Player of the Week honors. Veillette, who led all skaters in the conference in goals (3) and points (5), was named Forward of the Week. Mitens, who led all WCHA goaltenders in goals against average (1.50) and save percentage (.952), was named Goaltender of the Week.
• In the all-time series between the two teams, the Lakers hold a 46-74-13 record against Northern Michigan.
• Last season, the two teams met for a series in Feb. 2020, with each team recording a win at the Taffy Abel Arena in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. 
• Lake State currently holds possession of the Cappo Cup, winning last season's series by a one-goal differential. The winner of the regular season series each year is awarded the Cappo Cup, given annually since the 1994-95 season. The first installment was awarded by the late Monsignor Louis Cappo in 1991.
• Against NMU, Ashton Calder ranks first among his teammates with 11 points (2G, 9A) while Lukas Kaelble and Veillette are tied for second among the Lakers with eight career points against the Wildcats. All of Kaelble's points against NMU are assists while Veillette has posted four goals and four assists. 
• Goaltender Mareks Mitens has played in five games against Northern Michigan, starting all five. Mitens holds a 3-2-0 record against the Wildcats.

Scouting the Wildcats                                                                                                                                                  

• Northern Michigan is led by Grant Potulny, who is in his fourth season leading the Wildcats. In three previous seasons with the team, Coach Potulny boasts a 64-47-9 record and has led the team to two 20+ win seasons in his three seasons at the helm.
• The Wildcats have played 14 games this season, compiling a record of 4-10-0. NMU most recently played a series againat the Ferris State Bulldogs, posting a pair of wins. 
• Offensively, the Wildcats are led by senior forward Joseph Nardi, who has recorded 15 points (5G, 10A) this season. Junior Vincent de Mey and sophomore AJ Vanderbeck are tied for the team lead in goals this season with six each. 
• NMU brings back 18 individuals who saw ice-time in the 2019-20 season, including all three goaltenders and three of its top-four scorers. The team returns 79 goals from the 2019-20 season as well as 219 points, including league-leading scorer Griffin Loughran who posted 39 points (23-16-39) as a sophomore.
• In goal, junior Nolan Kent has played the majority of minutes for the Wildcats. Kent has played in nine games, starting eight and has totaled a 2-6-0 record. The junior goalie has posted a 3.09 goals against average and a .893 save percentage this season.
• Through 14 games, Northern's special teams have combined for a penalty kill percentage of 74.5% (41-for-55) while the power play is running at a 18.0% (9-for- 50) success rate.

Vote for Hobey                                                                                 

• Three Lakers - Ashton Calder, Lukas Kaelble, and Mareks Mitens - have been nominated for the 2021 Vote for Hobey Baker. Awarded annually to college hockey's top player, the Hobey Baker's tremendously popular fan-voting will run from now until Sunday, March 7 at midnight. College hockey fans can cast their vote by going to the voting website; https://www.hobeybaker.com/vote.

Other Information                                                                                       

• Every week Bill Crawford and Matt Pocket 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 airs live every Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. on ESPN 1400. 
• All Laker home and away games during the 2020-21 season will be available to watch live on FloHockey, the WCHA's streaming partner. For more information or to sign up for a subscription, visit https:/www.flohockey.tv. 
• Bill Crawford and Matt Pocket will be calling the Laker games this season. The radio call will be available to listen to on 99.5 Yes FM, the official radio station of Laker hockey. The broadcast stream can also be accessed at www.yesfm.net