Game Notes

For Starters                        

• Lake Superior State returns home this weekend for the team's final series before a month-long holiday break. The Lakers host the No. 19 Northern Michigan Wildcats for a Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) series at the Taffy Abel Arena in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. on Friday, Dec. 10 at 7:07 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 11 at 6:07 p.m.
• Last weekend, the Lakers traveled to Big Rapids, Mich.  to play a CCHA series against Ferris State. The Lakers opened the weekend with a 3-0 win over the Bulldogs, led by goaltender Ethan Langenegger's second shutout of the season, and followed with a 3-1 loss to Ferris State on Saturday night to split the weekend series. Following the series, the Lakers overall record sits at 9-10-1 while the team has totaled a 5-7-0 record in conference play this season. 
• The Lakers received one vote in the USCHO poll this week, marking the ninth week this season that the team has received votes in either of the two national polls. 
• The Lakers return to the ice following 19-7-3 overall record during the 2020-21 season and a 9-5-0 WCHA record as the team finished the regular season second in the WCHA standings and earned the Jeff Sauer Trophy as the Lakers won a conference championship for the first time since the 1994-95 season. With the conference championship title, the Lakers received an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament and fell to eventual national champion, UMass, in the opening round of the tournament.
• Lakers Head Coach Damon Whitten enters his eighth season behind the bench in Sault Ste. Marie in 2021-22. In May 2021, Whitten agreed to terms on a six-year contract, solidifying the program through the 2027-28 season. The Laker head coach has led the team to a 109-143-27 record, with playoff appearances in all but one season. Whitten recorded his 100th career win as a head coach on Oct. 2 with the Lakers 4-3 victory over No. 17 Omaha.

Last Weekend Recap                        

• After a scoreless first period on Friday to open up the series, freshman forward Josh Nixon gave the Lakers a 1-0 lead at 8:21 of the first period with his first career power play goal. Nixon's goal, which was assisted by Louis Boudon and Dawson Tritt, stood as the eventual game winner, marking the first of the freshman's collegiate career. 
• Later in the second period, the Lakers doubled their lead when Brandon Puricelli scored his eighth goal of the season, which ties his previous season-high from last year.  Puricelli, who is now tied for the team-lead in goals, has tied his previous season-highs in goals (8), assists (7), and points (15). 
• Puricelli's goal was assisted by Boudon and Mucha. With the assist, Mucha set a new season-high in points with 15 while extending his season-high in assists (12). 
• The scoring was capped off at 17:22 of the third period when Nixon scored his second goal of the game, an empty net goal, to seal the 3-0 Laker victory. The goal marked the first career multi-point game of the freshman's career. 
• Defenseman Jake Willets tallied the lone assist on Nixon's goal, as the junior faced his former team (Ferris State) for the first time in his career. 
• Sophomore goaltender Ethan Langenegger posted his second shutout of the season, and his second in three starts, as he stopped all 35 shots he faced in the game. 
• In Saturday's game, the Lakers took a 1-0 lead in the first period as junior forward Dustin Manz scored his career-best fifth goal of the season at the 8:26 mark. Manz's goal, which was scored on the power play, was assisted by senior defensemen Jacob Nordqvist and Mitchell Oliver. 
• The Bulldogs scored three unanswered goals in the remainder of the game to record a 3-1 win over the Lakers in the second game of the weekend series. 
• Langenegger finished his second start of the weekend with a 26-save effort to complete the weekend with 61 saves on 64 shots, a .953 save percentage and a 1.59 goals against average. 
• For their play in the series against the Bulldogs, Langenegger and Nixon received CCHA Player of the Week honors. Langenegger was named CCHA Goaltender of the Week while Nixon received CCHA Rookie of the Week accolades. It marked the second consecutive week that Langenegger was named CCHA Goaltender of the Week. 

Lakers vs. Northern Michigan              

• The Lakers and Wildcats will meet for the first of two series between the two conference foes this season. With the Wildcats making the trip to the Eastern U.P. this weekend, the Lakers will travel to Marquette, Mich. at the end of January for the second regular season series of the 2021-22 season. 
• Last season, the Lakers and Wildcats met five times with the Lakers skating to a 4-1-0 record with the most recent meeting between the teams coming on March 20 in the WCHA Championship game. The Lakers earned a 6-3 win over NMU to clinch the conference championship and a spot in the NCAA Tournament.  Lake Superior State swept the first series against the Wildcats on the road last season, recording a 4-1 win and a 3-2 overtime win in Marquette. In the second series, the teams split the weekend with both winning a game in overtime. 
• In the all-time series between the two teams, the Lakers hold a 48-75-13 record against Northern Michigan. 
• Lake State currently holds possession of the Cappo Cup, winning last season's series.  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.

Return to the CCHA                       

• Lake Superior State makes a long-anticipated return to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association in the 2021-22 season, joining six other WCHA teams (Bemidji State, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State, Northern Michigan) and St. Thomas, who recently transitioned from Division III to Division I in hockey.
• Earlier this season, the Lakers played their first conference series in the reconstituted CCHA. Lake Superior State swept the St. Thomas Tommies in a two-game home series, winning the opener by a 3-1 score and capping off the weekend with a 6-3 victory.
• The CCHA schedule includes 26 regular season games for the Lakers followed by the conference postseason. The postseason will include a three-game quarterfinal round during the first weekend in March, followed by single game semifinal round and championship game during the second weekend of March. The regular season CCHA champion will be awarded the historic MacNaughton Cup while the conference postseason champion will earn the Mason Cup.
• The Lakers were one of the founding members of the CCHA in 1971 and played in the highly-regarded conference until the league was disbanded in 2013.
• During the Lakers tenure in the CCHA, the program combined for its most successful years which included three Regular Season CCHA Championships, four CCHA Postseason Championships, and three National Championships.

In the Polls                        

• The Lakers received one vote in the USCHO poll this week, marking the ninth week this season that the team has received votes in either of the two national polls. 
• The Lakers received votes and/or was ranked, in at least one of the two national polls (USCHO and USA Today/USA Hockey) for 25 weeks straight, from back to Nov. 23, 2020 through Nov. 15, 2021. 
• Last season, the Lakers were nationally ranked on nine occasions and peaked at the No. 13 spot in both polls on March 22.
• In the CCHA Preseason Coaches Poll, Lake Superior State was picked to finish in the sixth spot, receiving 45 total points.

Keys to Success                                  

• The Laker hockey team has had two of the program's best seasons in the last 25 years in the span of the last three seasons, and have the records to prove it. LSSU posted a 56-43-9 overall record since the start of the 2018-19 season through the close of the 2020-21 season, which is the 11th most in all of Division I hockey in that span.
• The Lakers have been a solid road team in the last three years, posting a 12-6-0 record in 2018-19 and an 8-2-0 record last year. During the 2020-21 season, the Lakers were the last Division I program with an undefeated road record. The Lakers open the 2021-22 season with a 3-7-0 road record with six of the eight road contests coming against ranked programs.
• Six of the team's last nine wins over ranked opponents have come on the road (No. 12 Bowling Green, Feb. 12-13, 2021; No. 18 Michigan Tech, Feb. 16, 2021; No. 17 Bemidji State, March 3, 2021; No. 13/12 Bemidji State, March 19, 2021; No. 17 Omaha, Oct. 2, 2021; No. 18 Michigan Tech, Nov. 5, 2021).
• Since the start of the 2018-19 season, the Lakers have combined for a 39-7-3 record when scoring the game's first goal.
• Another key to the Lakers success in recent years (since the 2018-19 season) has been the team's ability to preserve a lead as Lake Superior State has posted a 29-2-3 record when leading after the first period and a 43-1-0 record when heading into the third period with the score advantage. Last year, the Lakers recorded a 13-0-1 record when notching the game's opening goal, a 10-0-1 record when leading after one period, and a 12-0-0 record when leading after two periods of play.
• Lake Superior State's power play has scored the fourth most goals among all NCAA teams this season (19) as the power play is running at a 21.3 percentage. The team has scored 19 power play goals this season, which is six more goals than the team's total from the 2020-21 season. 

Balanced Attack                                  

• 20 Lakers have notched at least a point this season and eight have recorded nine or more points through the first 20 games of the season. Boudon, Bengtsson, Puricelli, Roy, Mucha, Nixon, and Manz have all surpassed the double digit total in points this season.
• 17 skaters have scored a goal for the Lakers this season and the team's nine game winning goals have been scored by seven different players (Bengtsson, Boudon, Puricelli, Tritt, Bakos, Oliver, Nixon).
• Four Lakers rank in the top 19 scorers in the CCHA heading into the 11th week of the season (Boudon, Bengtsson, Mucha, Puricelli). 
• Lake Superior's skaters will return 43.0% of last season's goal scoring (31 of 86 total goals), and 46.2% of the total points recorded (110 of 238 total points).
• Four of the Lakers top 10 point scorers from last season are back this season (Boudon, Nordqvist, Puricelli, Mucha) and two of the team's top five goal scorers (Puricelli, Boudon).
• Last season the Lakers had 11 players record 10 or more points with five of those skaters returning this season (Boudon, Nordqvist, Puricelli, Mucha, Jeffers).
• The Lakers 19 game winning goals during the 2021-22 season were scored by 11 different players - with seven of those players returning to the lineup this year.

Career Years                                          

• Through the first 20 games of the season, a number of Lakers have bested their previous season-high totals in various offensive categories. 
• Sophomore defenseman Jacob Bengtsson has set new season-highs in assists (14) and points (16) through the first 20 games of the season. As a freshman, Bengtsson posted two goals and five assists for seven points in 28 games played. 
• Junior forward Logan Jenuwine has set new career highs in assists (6) and points (7). During the 2019-20 season at Arizona State, Jenuwine totaled four points (3G, 1A) in 10 games. 
• Junior forward Dustin Manz set a new season-high in goals this season with five as well as points with 10. It marks the first time in his collegiate career that Manz has reached double-digits in points.  In both his freshman and sophomore seasons, Manz scored two goals. 
• Senior forward Miroslav Mucha has set a new season-high in assists with 12 and points with 15 through the first 20 games of the season. Last season, Mucha recorded nine assists and 14 points in 29 games for the Lakers. 
• Junior forward Brandon Puricelli has set new season-highs in power play goals (3) and game winning goals (2) while also tying his previous season high in goals (8), assists (7) and points (15). Both of Puricelli's game winning goals this season have come in overtime. 
• Sophomore forward Harrison Roy has set new career highs in goals (5), assists (9) and points (14). Roy spent the 2020-21 season at Boston College, where he posted three points (2G, 1A) in 23 games.  
• Sophomore forward Joshua Wildauer has set new season-highs in goals (1), assists (2) and points (3). Wildauer posted one assist in 13 games as a freshman. 
• Sophomore defenseman Artyom Borshyov has totaled two assists this season to set season-highs in both assists and points. In 13 games as a freshman, the defenseman did not record any points. 
• Sophomore defenseman Jeremy Gervais has posted four assists in six games this season setting new season-highs in both assists (4) and points (4). In 16 games as a freshman, Gervais totaled two assists.
• Junior goaltender Seth Eisele has set new season-highs in games played (7), games started (7) and wins (4) while sophomore netminder Ethan Langenegger has set new season-highs in starts (13), games played (13), shutouts (2), and wins (5). 

Anchored Down                                            

• Heading into the 2020-21 season, the Lakers return a strong back end presence as the team's defensemen combine for 336 career collegiate games played while adding 19 goals, and 83 assists for a total of 104 points.
• Seniors Jacob Nordqvist and Mitchell Oliver bring the most experience to the back end for the Lakers, while juniors Arvid Henrikson and Jake Willets will also be relied on for the Lakers. Sophomores Jacob Bengtsson, Artyom Borshyov, and Jeremy Gervais round out the returning defensemen for the Lakers.
• Nordqvist, who finished his junior season with 15 points (3G, 12A) in 29 games, leads all Lakers in career games played with 122. The Swedish defenseman ranks second among all active Lakers in career points with 55 (11G, 44A) and leads all active Laker defensemen in career points.
• Earlier this month against Michigan Tech, the Laker assistant captain notched his seventh point of the season with the game-tying goal in Friday's 3-2 overtime win. After a three-point performance against St. Thomas on Oct. 15 & 16, Nordqvist was named the CCHA Defenseman of the week.
• Oliver played in 25 games for the Lakers during the 2020-21 season and set new career highs in goals (3), points (10), power play goals (2) and game winning goals (1). The defenseman finished his junior season with a double digit point total for the first time in his career while also ranking fourth on the team in blocked shots (28).
• This season, Oliver has tallied two goals and two assists in 18 games this season. On Oct. 30, Oliver netted the game winning goal in the team's 7-1 win over St. Lawrence. Both of Oliver's goals this season have come on the power play. 
• Willets brings 68 games of previous collegiate experience to the Laker roster as he has been a mainstay on Ferris State's defense for the last two seasons. The junior defender has scored six goals in his career, with four coming while on the power play. In 18 games this season, Willets has recorded three points (1G, 2A) and scored his first goal as a Laker in the team's 7-4 win over Union on Oct. 22
• As a freshman during the 2019-20 season, Willets led the Bulldogs in points (22) and assists (19), and was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team.
• Junior defenseman Arvid Henrikson has appeared in 84 career games for the Lakers, including all 29 during the 2020-21 season. Last season, Henrikson ranked second on the team, and first among defenseman in blocked shots (31). This season, Henrikson has posted one assist.
• Bengtsson, Borshyov, and Gervais each enter their second season for the Lakers. The trio combined for 57 games played during the 2020-21 season.

Between the Pipes                                  

• The Lakers return the goaltending duo of junior Seth Eisele and sophomore Ethan Langenegger, who combined for a 5-1-0 record last season for the Lakers. Through 20 games this season, the duo has split goaltending duties for the Lakers with Eisele starting seven games and Langenegger starting 13 games. The pair has combined for a .902 save percentage and a 3.08 goals against average.
• In 13 starts this season, Langenegger has posted a 5-7-1 overall record with a .907 save percentage and a 2.85 goals against average. The sophomore goaltender has set new career highs in wins (5), starts (13), games played (13) and shutouts (2) this season.
• Last weekend at Ferris State, Langenegger posted his second shutout of the season as he stopped all 35 shots he faced in the team's 3-0 win on Friday, Dec. 3. The sophomore goaltender finished the weekend split with a .953 save percentage and a 1.59 goals against average as he stopped 61 of the 64 shots he faced in the series. Langenegger was named CCHA Goaltender of the Week on Dec. 6, marking the second straight week that the Laker goalie received the conference honor. 
• Langenegger earned his first career shutout in a 1-0 win over No. 1 ranked Minnesota State on Nov. 26 as he stopped all 22 shots he faced from the Mavericks in the game to become the first goaltender to shutout Minnesota State since the 2018-19 season. The Laker netminder followed with another 22-save effort the following night against the Mavericks but the team fell by a final score of 3-0. 
• For his play against Minnesota State on Nov. 26-17, Langenegger was named CCHA Goaltender of the Week. The Kamloops, B.C. native finished the weekend with a 1.50 goals against average and a .936 save percentage against the nation's top ranked team
• Langenegger set a new single-game high in saves with 42 in the team's 3-2 overtime win at No. 18 Michigan Tech on Nov. 5 as the sophomore recorded his third win of the season, setting a new season-high in wins. 
• In seven games played this season, Eisele has totaled a 3.14 goals against average and a .904 save percentage while recording a 4-3-0 record. Eisele's most recent win came on Oct. 30 in the team's 7-1 win against St. Lawrence. Eisele has set new season-highs in games played (7), starts (7) and wins (4) this season. 
• Eisele set a new career single-game best in the Lakers 6-1 loss to No. 3 Michigan on Oct. 8 as he stopped 41 shots in the game. The junior goalie's first win of the season on Oct. 2 at No. 17 Omaha, as he made a then career-best 37 saves in the 4-3 overtime victory.
• Last season, Eisele appeared in four games for the Lakers, posting a .912 save percentage and a 2.18 goals against average for the Lakers. The netminder totaled a 3-0-0 record during the 2020-21 season, which included his first career playoff win on March 16 as he stopped 16 shots against Alabama Huntsville to lead the Lakers to the two-game sweep over the Chargers in the WCHA Quarterfinals.
• Langenegger played in six games for the Lakers during the 2020-21 season, registering a 2-1-0 record as a freshman. The Laker goalie finished the season with a .906 save percentage and a 2.27 goals against average.
• Langenegger earned his first collegiate win on Dec. 6, 2020 in a 3-2 win over the UAH Chargers and made his first career start on Feb. 7 against Northern Michigan.

How Swede It Is                                  

• The Lakers have four skaters who hail from Sweden on their roster this season: senior defenseman Jacob Nordqvist, junior defenseman Arvid Henrikson, sophomore defenseman Jacob Bengtsson, and freshman defenseman Sebastian Miedema.
• In his career with the Lakers, Nordqvist has played in a team-leading 122 career games and has totaled 55 points (11G, 44A), which ranks second among all active Lakers. Nordqvist ranks first among all active Laker defensemen in career points.
• This season, Nordqvist has posted nine points (3G, 6A) for the Lakers, with three points coming in the team's 6-3 win over St. Thomas on Oct. 16 and two points in the 5-2 win over Union on Oct. 23 (1G, 1A). On Nov. 5 at Michigan Tech,  Nordqvist scored the game-tying goal in the team's 3-2 overtime win . With the goal, Nordqvist tied his previous season-high in the category with three. 
• Most recently, Nordqvist posted an assist in the team's 3-1 loss to Ferris State on Dec. 4.
• On Oct. 16, Nordqvist tallied the primary assist on the game's first goal and followed with an assist on the Lakers second goal of the game, which came on the power play. Nordqvist clinched the Laker win with the final goal in the game, scoring a power play goal in the final minute of play. For his play against the Tommies, Nordqvist was named CCHA Defenseman of the Week on Oct. 18.
• Through 20 games this season, Nordqvist leads the Lakers in blocked shots with 31. The defenseman ranks tied for third among all CCHA skaters in the category and tied for seventh among NCAA players in blocks.
• Nordqvist, a native of Gothenburg, Sweden, appeared in all 29 games for the Lakers during the 2020-21 season, and recorded three goals and 12 assists. The defenseman finished the season with a career-best, team-leading +22 rating which ranked tied for fourth among all NCAA skaters and tied for second among all NCAA defensemen. The senior defender was tied for fourth in both assists and points among all WCHA defensemen last season.
• Junior defenseman Arvid Henrikson, a native of Stockholm, Sweden, has been a consistent presence on the back end for the Lakers during the past two seasons. Henrikson has appeared in 84 career games for the Lakers, including all 29 during the 2020-21 season.
• Henrikson registered the lone assist on Brandon Puricelli's overtime game winning goal on Oct. 2 at No. 17 Omaha. With the assist, Henrikson tied his previous season-high in the category. 
• Henrikson, who was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, ranked second on the team last season in blocked shots (31). This season, Henrikson ranks second on the team in blocks with 23.
• Sophomore defenseman Jacob Bengtsson, a native of Stockholm, Sweden, enters his second season of collegiate hockey after being a key member of the Laker defense last season. Bengtsson played in 28 games for the Lakers last season and recorded seven points (2G, 5A).
• Through 20 games this season, Bengtsson ranks second on the team in points (16) and assists (14). The sophomore ranks second among all CCHA defenseman in points and leads his confernece peers in assists this season. Bengtsson ranks second among all NCAA defenseman in assists this season, trailing only Michigan's Owen Power (1st overall NHL draft pick in 2021). 
• Through 20 games this season, Bengtsson has set new career highs in assists (14) and points (16), and tied his previous season high in goals (2). Both of Bengtsson's goals have come on the power play. 
• Bengtsson posted a career-best four-game point streak earlier this season, from Nov. 12-20 (1G, 4A). The defenseman has recorded points in 10 of the team's games this season.
• The sophomore registered back-to-back multi-point games on Oct. 9 at Michigan and Oct. 15 vs St. Thomas to record his second and third career multi-point efforts. Bengtsson posted a career-best three point game on Oct. 22 in the team's 7-4 win over Union with three assists. Bengtsson's most recent multi-point game came of Nov. 12 as the defenseman registered a pair of assists in the team's 5-4 loss to Bemidji. The defenseman has totaled five multi-point games this season. 
• For his play during the month of October, Bengtsson was named the CCHA Defenseman of the Month.  Bengtsson led the CCHA in points among defensemen during the month of October with 10 points (1G, 9A) in 10 games played. The sophomore defenseman finished the month ranking fifth among all CCHA skaters in points and tied for second in assists among all conference players. 
• In the Lakers 3-1 win over St. Thomas on Oct. 15, the sophomore defenseman netted a goal and added an assist to lead the Lakers. The goal, which stood as the game winner, marked Bengtsson's first career power play goal. Three of Bengtsson's four career goals have been game winners.
• Both of Bengtsson's goals during his freshman year stood as game winning goals as he netted the third goal in the Lakers 5-2 win against No. 17 Bemidji State on March 3 and the second goal in the Lakers 4-1 win over No. 13/12 Bemidji on March 19 in the WCHA Semifinals.
• Bengtsson ranked first among all WCHA rookies in game winning goals during the 2020-21 season, and was tied for second in game winners among all WCHA defensemen.
• Freshman defenseman Sebastian Miedema, a native of Gävle, Sweden, rounds out the Laker skaters from Sweden. Miedema made his Laker debut on Oct. 23 against Union.

French Connection                                  

• Junior forward, and team captain, Louis Boudon will be looked upon for leadership both on-and-off the ice this season as he will be a driving force behind the team's offense this season.
• Boudon has notched 69 points (22G, 47A) in 87 career games for the Lakers, and ranks first among all active Lakers in career points. Through 20 games this season, Boudon has recorded points in 12 contests, and has posted six multi-point games. The junior forward leads the Lakers in points this season with 23, as he has posted eight goals and 15 assists. 
• Through 20 games this season, Boudon has tied his previous season-high in goals (8). 
• Among CCHA skaters, Boudon ranks third in points (23), tied for third in assists (15), and tied for fourth in goals (8). Among NCAA players, the junior forward is tied for fourth among all skaters in points, tied for fifth in assists, and ranks fourth among all skaters in total faceoff wins (215).
• Boudon's most recent multi-point game came in the team's 3-0 win at Ferris State on Dec. 3 as the captain posted a pair of assists in the game. 
• Boudon scored his second game winning goal of the season and the fifth of his career in the team's 1-0 win over No. 1 Minnesota State on Nov. 26. The junior forward netted his first career shorthanded goal in the first period against the Mavericks which would hold up as the eventual game winner to upset the top-ranked team in the nation. 
• In the team's 7-1 win over the St. Lawrence Saints on Oct. 30, Boudon tallied his first career hat trick with three goals in the game. It marked the first collegiate multi-goal game for the Laker captain. 
• Earlier this season, Boudon posted a six-game point streak, spanning from Oct. 8 - 23.. The Grenoble, France native totaled three goals and nine assists in the stretch to total 12 points.
• Boudon was named the CCHA Forward of the Month for his play in October as he led the conference with 16 points (6G, 10A) in 10 games. In addition to leading the CCHA in points, Boudon also led the CCHA in assists (10), and finished the month tied for first in the conference in both goals (6) and power play goals (3). 
• In the team's series against Union, Boudon was tied for the team-lead in points during the pair of games as he posted five assists in the series. The junior forward totaled a career-best four assists in the team's 7-4 win on Friday night and added an assist in Saturday's 5-2 win. For his play against the Dutchmen, Boudon was named CCHA Forward of the Week.
• In the team's series against St. Thomas on Oct. 15-16, Boudon tied his then career-high in single game points with three (1G, 2A) in Oct. 16's 6-3 win. The junior forward scored the game winning goal, his first of the season and fourth of his career, with a power play goal in the final minute of the second period. All three of Boudon's points came on the power play.
• Last year, Boudon finished his second collegiate season with 19 points in 28 games as he scored eight goals and added 11 assists. The Grenoble, France native set new season-bests in goals, power play goals, and game winning goals as a sophomore.
• The Laker captain ranked in the top-five among his teammates in nearly every offensive category last season as he was tied for third in goals (8), tied for fourth in assists (11), tied for third in points (19), fourth in plus/minus (+15), tied for third in game winning goals (2), and led the team in power play goals (4).
• Boudon closed out the 2020-21 season with 14 points (5G, 9A) in the team's last 15 games of the season.
• Boudon led the Lakers with four power play goals last season and was one of 11 players in the WCHA who netted four or more power play goals during the 2020-21 season.
• As a freshman, Boudon appeared in 40 games for the Lakers, was third on the Lakers in points with 27 and ranked first among his teammates in assists with 21 during his first collegiate season. The forward was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team, WCHA Rookie of the Week twice during the 2019-20 season, WCHA Rookie of the Month in February, and received the Lakers Outstanding Freshman Award.
• In 2019-20, Boudon was tied for third on the team in goals, second on the team in +/-. tied for second on the team in power play goals, led the team in power play points, and third on the team in shots on goal.

Offensive Output                  

• Through the opening 20 games of the 2021-22 season, the trio of Brandon Puricelli, Harrison Roy and Miroslav Mucha has been driving the Laker offense.
• Mucha (3G, 12A) and Puricelli (8G, 7A) are tied for third on the team with 15 points each while Roy (5G, 9A) ranks fourth among his teammates with 14 points. 
• In the team's series against St. Lawrence, Roy, a sophomore forward who spent the 2020-21 season at Boston College, posted his fifth multi-point game of the season with a goal and an assist in the team's 7-1 win on Oct. 30.
• Earlier this season, the sophomore forward extended his point streak and goal streak to a career-best three games. This season, Roy has set new career highs in all three main offensive categories, and has posted points in seven of the 14 games he has played in this season.
• Roy posted a six-point weekend against St. Thomas on Oct. 15 and 16 after posting consecutive three point games (2G, 4A). Roy had a hand in all three goals in Friday's 3-1 win and followed with a power play goal and a pair of assists in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Tommies.
• In his Laker debut on Oct. 2 at Omaha, Roy posted his first career multi-point game with a goal and an assist. The Lakeville, Mass. native scored the game tying goal with 1:04 left in regulation to force overtime.
• Puricelli ranks tied for fourth in the CCHA in goals (8), and is tied for second in power play goals (2). 
• Puricelli heads into the series against Northern Michigan with 12 points in his last 15 games (6G, 6A) after posting a four-game point streak from Oct. 9 - Oct. 22. The junior forward has posted points in nine of the 18 games he's played in this season, and five have been multi-point efforts. Including this season, Puricelli has totaled eight career multi-point games.
• On Nov. 5, Puricelli scored his second overtime goal of the season as he netted the game winning goal for the Lakers in the team's 3-2 overtime victory at No. 18 Michigan Tech.  
• Earlier this season against the Dutchmen, Puricelli recorded his second multi-goal game of the season on Oct. 22 when he scored a power play goal in the first period and capped off the Laker victory with an empty net goal.
• In the first game of the season, Puricelli tallied a career-best three points in the Lakers 4-3 overtime win over No. 17 Omaha. The junior forward scored the Lakers first goal of the season and assisted on the team's second goal of the game to tie the score at two. Puricelli completed the night with the game winner in overtime, marking his second career game winning goal and his first collegiate overtime win to propel the Lakers to a victory. It marked the first multi-goal game of Puricelli's career.
• Puricelli posted eight goals and seven assists in his first season with the Lakers as he finished the 2020-21 campaign tied for third on the team in goals and tied for fifth in points. The forward had an especially strong second half for the Lakers as he registered a career- best four game goal streak from March 12 - 20 (4G) and a career-best five game point streak from March 6 - 20 (4G, 3A).
• Mucha, who has set new season highs in points (15) and assists (12) this season, is tied for sixth in the CCHA in assists this season with 12. The senior forward has recorded 14 points in the team's last 15 games (3G, 11A) and posted a career-high five game point streak earlier this season (Oct. 16 - 30). In the span, Mucha totaled two goals and eight assists, with four games being multi-point efforts.
• In the team's 1-0 win over then No. 1- ranked Minnesota State, Mucha recorded the lone assist on the game's only goal. Mucha set up Boudon for the eventual game winning goal, as the duo was on the ice for the shorthanded goal.
• Against St. Lawrence on Oct. 29-30, Mucha posted a goal in the team's 2-2 tie on Friday night and followed with a pair of assists in Saturday's 7-1 win. With the two-assist effort, Mucha tied his previous season-high in assists with nine. 
• Earlier this season against Union, Mucha was tied for the team-lead in points in the series with five (5A) as he tallied two assists in Friday's win and a career-best three points in Saturday's 5-2 win. Mucha recorded three assists in the win, including a helper on the game winning goal.
• In the team's 3-1 win over St. Thomas on Oct. 16, Mucha netted his first career shorthanded goal, which was his first goal of his senior season.

Winning the Draws                                              

• Junior Dustin Manz has been consistently strong at the faceoff dot for the Lakers in his collegiate career. This season, Manz leads the Lakers and ranks second among all NCAA skaters in total faceoff wins with 228, and has totaled a 53.4 win percentage in the circle this season. 
• In last weekend's series at Ferris State, Manz scored his career-best fifth goal of the season in Saturday's 3-1 loss. The goal marked the second career power play goal as the junior set a new season-high in points with 10.
• In the Lakers series against St. Lawrence on Oct. 29-30, Manz netted a pair of goals and added an assist as he posted goals in each game. Following the two goal weekend, the junior forward set a new season high in goals with three. 
• As a freshman, Manz led the team with a .587 faceoff win percentage during the 2019-20 season as he won 242 of the 412 draws he took. Manz, who ranked second on the Lakers in face-off wins with 242, had the fourth best faceoff win percentage in the WCHA.
• Last season, Manz led the Lakers in faceoff win percentage (.617) as he won 229 of the 371 draws he took. The Laker center finished the season with the sixth-best faceoff percentage in the NCAA and the second best win percentage in the WCHA.
• As a sophomore, Manz played in all 29 games for the Lakers, and posted two goals and five assists for seven points. Manz recorded a multi-point game on March 20 (1G, 1A) in the WCHA Championship game.

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 12:00 p.m. on ESPN 1400 and can be found on the CCHA website under the podcast section. 
• All Laker home and away conference games during the 2021-22 CCHA season will be available to watch live on FloHockey, the CCHA'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
• Laker tickets are available to purchase at lssulakers.com. Season ticket packages, and single game tickets are on sale now! For more information on tickets, visit lssulakers.com or call (906) 635-2601.