SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – Four Lake Superior State hockey student-athletes have received all conference honors following the end of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) regular season, as by WCHA officials on Wednesday, March 10.
Forward Ashton Calder, defenseman Will Riedell, and goaltender Mareks Mitens earned All-WCHA Second Team honors while forward Pete Veillette earned All-WCHA Third Team honors.
Calder, a junior from Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., finished the regular season leading the Lakers with 23 points (12G, 11A) in 24 games played. Calder ranked first on the team with 12 goals, which ties his previous season best, and second on the Lakers in assists with 11 this season. The junior forward scored a team-leading four game winning goals and finished the regular season with seven multi-point games.
Calder, is the Lakers active points leader with 73 career points (29G, 44A) in 102 games played, was named WCHA Forward of the Month in November while also receiving Player of the Week honors following the final week of the regular season. The alternate captain scored his first career hat trick in the Lakers 5-2 win against No. 17 Bemidji State on March 3. At the close of the regular season, Calder ranks tied for sixth among WCHA players in points this season and tied for third among conference players in goals.
Riedell, a senior from Greensboro, N.C., finished the regular season with 15 points (5G, 10A) in 24 games this season. The defenseman ranks tied for third among his teammates and leads all Laker defensemen in the category this season. Riedell tied his previous season high in goals with five and two of his five goals this season have been game winners for the Lakers. The defenseman was named WCHA Defenseman of the Week twice this season and WCHA Defenseman of the Month in November.
Riedell, an alternate captain for the Lakers, finished the regular season ranking third among WCHA defenseman in points and was one of four conference defenders with two or more game winning goals this season.
Mitens, a goaltender from Ventspils, Latvia, ended the regular season with an 11-5-3 record in 21 starts for the Lakers. The senior netminder finished with a .934 save percentage which ranks second among all WCHA goaltenders, and a 1.86 goals against average, which is third best among his conference peers. This season, Mitens earned his 30th career win and currently holds sole possession of 10th place all-time in wins in LSSU hockey program history with 32 career victories. Mitens finished the season ranking fourth in minutes played in the WCHA (1164:05) and third in saves (509).
Mitens has received multiple WCHA honors this season as he was named WCHA Goaltender of the Month in November and three WCHA Goaltender of the Week recognitions. The senior is one of the nine finalists in Division I hockey for the Mike Richter Award, which is given to the top goaltender annually. In all but three of his 21 appearances in the regular season, Mitens has allowed two or fewer goals.
Veillette, a junior from Drummondville, Que., posted 21 points (11G, 10A) in 24 games for the Lakers this season to rank second on the team in points and second in goals among the Lakers. Veillette ended the regular season riding a six game point streak (4G, 4A) and posted six multi-point games this season. The junior forward was named the WCHA Forward of the Week on Jan. 12 after a five point effort in a weekend series against Northern Michigan. Veillette has points in 10 of the last 11 games for the Lakers this season, which included two three-game goal streaks.
Veillette finished the regular season tied for eighth in points in the conference and tied for fourth in goal scoring in the WCHA this year. The junior sits in fifth place among all WCHA skaters in plus/minus with a +17 rating.
The No. 2-seed Lakers will host the No. 7-seed Alabama Huntsville Chargers in the WCHA Quarterfinals this weekend as LSSU secured the program's highest finish during the record season since the 1995-96 season. The best-of-three series is set to be played at the Taffy Abel Arena on Friday, March 12 at 7:07 p.m., Saturday, March 13 at 5:07 p.m. and Sunday, March 14 at 5:07 p.m., if necessary.
Even though spectators cannot currently attend Laker games, there are still a number of ways that fans will be able to follow the game action. All Laker home games, and away games against WCHA opponents 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. Fans can also tune in to the radio broadcast on 99.5 Yes FM, the official radio station of Laker hockey.
For more information, visit lssulakers.com.
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