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Preview: Laker Hockey Travels to St. Thomas for Final Road Series of CCHA Regular Season

Preview: Laker Hockey Travels to St. Thomas for Final Road Series of CCHA Regular Season

Game Notes

For Starters                                

  • Lake Superior State will travel to Mendota Heights, Minn. this weekend to take on St. Thomas in the team's final road series of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) regular season. The Lakers will match up against the Tommies on Friday, Feb. 18 at 8:07 p.m. EST and Saturday, Feb. 19 at 8:07 p.m. EST. Both games are set to take place at the St. Thomas Ice Arena. 
  • In the team's most recent series, the Lakers hosted the Ferris State Bulldogs for a pair of CCHA games at the Taffy Abel Arena in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. The Lakers swept the conference series after posting a 5-3 win on Friday, Feb. 11 and followed with a 4-0 victory on Saturday, Feb. 12 over the Bulldogs. Heading into this weekend's series, the Lakers overall record sits at 14-15-1 and 10-12-0 in conference play this season. 
  • LSSU's power play is running at a 22.8% success rate this season as the team has scored 29 goals on 126 man-advantage opportunities. The team's penalty kill is functioning at a 78.8% success rate as the team has killed off 93 of 118 penalties this season. The Lakers power play ranks fourth in the CCHA while the penalty kill is fifth-best in the conference. 
  • 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 114-148-27 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                        

  • Last weekend, the Lakers swept the Ferris State Bulldogs in a weekend CCHA series. In Friday's 5-3 win over the Bulldogs, the Lakers fell behind 1-0 early in the first period but would score two goals late in the opening period to overtake the lead. Junior forward Louis Boudon evened the game at one with a goal at 17:57 of the period that was set up by his linemate, senior forward Miroslav Mucha
  • In the final minute of the first period, junior forward Logan Jenuwine scored his first goal of the game to give the Lakers the lead for the first time in the game. Jenuwine's goal was assisted by senior defenseman Mitchell Oliver and Mucha. 
  • After a scoreless second period, the Bulldogs tied the game at two at 1:17 of the third period. At the 4:39 mark of the period, sophomore forward Joshua Wildauer regained the Laker lead with his second goal of the season. Wildauer's classmates, defenseman Artyom Borshyov and forward Benito Posa notched the assists on the goal. 
  • Sophomore forward Harrison Roy netted the eventual game winning goal, the first of his career, at 17:18 of the third period while the Lakers were on the power play. Boudon and sophomore defenseman Jacob Bengtsson tallied the assists on the game winner. 
  • 11 seconds after Roy's goal, Ferris State scored to make it a one-goal game with less than three minutes left in the game. Jenuwine sealed the win with an empty net goal at 18:44 of the third period as he gave the Lakers a 5-3 lead. It marked the second time in his collegiate career, and the first time as a Laker, that the forward posted a multi-goal game. Boudon and Oliver recorded the assists. 
  • Junior goaltender Seth Eisele finished the game with 25 saves on 28 shots as he earned his seventh win of the season. 
  • In Saturday's 4-0 win, Boudon got the Lakers on the board at 4:36 of the first period when he scored his team-leading 13th goal of the season and eventual game winning goal. Boudon's goal, which was scored during a five-minute Laker power play, was assisted by Mucha and junior defenseman Jake Willets.
  • Willets, who was playing against his former team, added a second goal on the Bulldogs major penalty at 5:36 of the first period to give the Lakers a 2-0 lead. Willets' first goal of the game was set up by Mucha and Boudon as all three players posted points on both goals. 
  • At 13:39 of the first period, Willets scored his second goal of the game to register his first career multi-goal game. The defenseman's goal was assisted by junior defenseman Arvid Henrikson and freshman forward Josh Nixon
  • Willets capped off the natural hat trick at 8:43 of the second period when he gave the Lakers a 4-0 lead. Roy and Mucha recorded the assists on Willets' third goal of the game. 
  • With three goals in the game, Willets became the first Laker defenseman in program history to score a hat trick. The Laker defender became the fourth defenseman in the NCAA to record a hat trick this season. In addition, Willets set a new single-game career high in points as he finished the night with four points (3G, 1A). 
  • Sophomore goaltender Ethan Langenegger earned his seventh win of the season on Saturday night as he stopped all 20 of the shots he faced in the game for his third shutout of the season. 
  • Four Lakers posted multi-point games in Friday's win (Oliver, Jenuwine, Mucha, Boudon) and three Lakers recorded two or more points in Saturday's win (Mucha, Boudon, Willets). 12 different skaters recorded at least a point against the Bulldogs with six of them registering at least two points in the sweep..
  • For their play in the series, Boudon was named Forward of the Week, and Willets was named Defenseman of the Week. 

Lakers vs. St. Thomas                                              

  • The Lakers and St. Thomas will meet for the second time this season as the two teams met for a Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) series at the Taffy Abel Arena in Sault Ste. Marie on Oct. 15 & 16. The Lakers swept the series against the Tommies to improve to 3-0 all-time against St. Thomas as the two teams met for a single game in March 1974. 
  • The Lakers posted a 3-1 win over St. Thomas on Friday, Oct. 15 and followed with a 6-3 win over the Tommies to open their conference season. 
  • 10 Lakers have tallied at least a point against St. Thomas, and Roy leads the team with six career points against the Tommies (2G, 4A). Boudon and Puricelli are tied for second on the team in points against St. Thomas as both have posted four points in two games. Both Langenegger and Eisele have each recorded a win against the Tommies. 

2021: The Calendar Year              

  • The Lakers enter the second half of the season and the start of the 2022 calendar year coming off an impressive stretch of play in 2021. Lake Superior State totaled a 26-17-2 record in 45 games during the calendar year to post a .600 winning percentage during the year. 
  • Lake Superior's 26 wins in 2021 was tied for third-most in all of Division I hockey, as the Lakers finished the year tied with Minnesota and St. Cloud. LSSU trailed Minnesota State (37 wins) and North Dakota (28 wins). 
  • Boudon led all Lakers duing the calendar year in points as the forward ended the year on a point-per-game pace, totaling 43 points in 43 games. Boudon scored a team-high 18 goals and added a team-leading 25 assists in 2021. 
  • Mucha ranked second among the Lakers in 2021 with 29 points (7G, 22A) and Nordqvist rounded out the top three (while leading all Laker defensemen) with 28 points (7G, 18A). 

In the Polls                        

  • The Lakers did not receive any votes in either of the two national polls this week. This season, the Lakers have received votes in either or both of the national polls on ten occasions. 
  • 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.
  • Seven of the team's last 12 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; No. 20 Northern Michigan, Jan. 28, 2022).
  • Since the start of the 2018-19 season, the Lakers have combined for a 42-7-3 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 33-2-3 record when leading after the first period and a 47-1-0 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 29 goals this season, which ranks tied for sixth among all NCAA teams this season as the power play is running at a 22.8 percentage (15th in NCAA). 

Balanced Attack                                  

  • 21 Lakers have notched at least a point this season and 10 have recorded 10 or more points through 30 games of the season. Boudon, Mucha and Bengtsson have all recorded 23 or more points this season. 
  • 17 skaters have scored a goal for the Lakers this season and the team's 14 game winning goals have been scored by nine different players (Bengtsson, Boudon, Puricelli, Tritt, Bakos, Oliver, Mucha, Nixon, Roy).
  • Two Lakers rank in the top 20 scorers in the CCHA heading into this weekend's series (Boudon, Mucha). 
  • 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 30 games this 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 power play goals (2), assists (21) and points (23) through 30 games of the season. Bengtsson tied his previous season high in goals (2). As a freshman, Bengtsson posted two goals and five assists for seven points in 28 games played. Bengtsson has posted the most assists by a Laker defenseman since Lukas Kaelble in 2018-19 when he also tallied 21 assists. 
  • Sophomore defenseman Arvid Henrikson has set new season highs in assists (5) and points (5). 
  • Junior defenseman Jake Willets has set a new season highs in goals (5) and tied his previous season-high in power play goals (2).
  • Senior defenseman Mitchell Oliver has tied his previous season highs in goals (3) and power play goals (2), and has set a new season high in game winning goals with two. 
  • Junior forward Logan Jenuwine has set new career highs in goals (4), assists (9) and points (13). 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 seven as well as points with 12. 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 new season-highs in goals (8), assists (20) and points (28) through 28 games. Mucha has also set new season highs in power play goals (3). 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. 
  • Senior defenseman Jacob Nordqvist set a new career-high in goals this season with four as well as a career-best two power play goals. 
  • Sophomore forward Harrison Roy has set new career highs in goals (6), assists (10) and points (16). 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 (2), assists (5) and points (7). Wildauer posted one assist in 13 games as a freshman. 
  • Sophomore defenseman Artyom Borshyov has totaled four 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 this season setting new season-highs in both assists (4) and points (4). In 16 games as a freshman, Gervais totaled two assists.
  • Sophomore forward Benito Posa has tied his previous season highs in goals (4), assists (5) and points (9).  
  • Junior forward Louis Boudon has set a new season-high in goals (13), points (33), power play goals (5), shorthanded goals (2), game winning goals (3), and hat tricks (2). 
  • Junior goaltender Seth Eisele has set new season-highs in games played (12), games started (12) and wins (7) while sophomore netminder Ethan Langenegger has set new season-highs in starts (18), games played (18), shutouts (3), and wins (7). 

Anchored Down                                            

  • Heading into the 2021-22 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 132. The Swedish defenseman ranks second among all active Lakers in career points with 58 (12G, 46A) and leads all active Laker defensemen in career points.
  • Nordqvist has tallied 12 points this season (4G, 8A), including a three-point weekend (1G, 2A) against No. 19 Northern Michigan on Dec. 10-11. 
  • Earlier this season at 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 three goals and six assists in 28 games. Oliver posted three points in the team's series against No. 19 Northern Michigan on Dec. 10-11, including his first multi-point game of the season in the team's 7-2 win on Dec. 10. Oliver scored the game winning goal and added an assist in the victory. Earlier this season, Oliver posted a three-game point streak (1G, 3A). 
  • In the team's most recent series, Oliver recorded his second multi-point game of the season with a pair of assists in Lakers 5-3 win over Ferris State on Feb. 11. 
  • On Oct. 30, Oliver netted the game winning goal in the team's 7-1 win over St. Lawrence. Two of Oliver's three goals this season have come on the power play. 
  • Willets brings 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 10 goals in his career, with six coming while on the power play. In 28 games this season, Willets has recorded 10 points (5G, 5A) and scored his first goal as a Laker in the team's 7-4 win over Union on Oct. 22. Willets posted his first multi-point game of the season in the team's 7-2 win on Dec. 10 with a goal and an assist. 
  • In the team's 4-0 win over Ferris State on Feb. 12, Willets posted a single-game career-best four points (3G, 1A) in the victory while finding a way into the record books as the first defenseman in Laker history to score a hat trick. Willets added two goals in the first period and capped off his natural hat trick at 8:43 of the second period with his fifth goal of the season. With the three goals, Willets set a new season-high in goals and became the fourth defenseman in the NCAA to record a hat trick this season. For his play in the series against his former team, Willets was named CCHA Defenseman of the Week. 
  • 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 90 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 five assists
  • 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 30 games this season, the duo has split goaltending duties for the Lakers with Eisele starting 12 games and Langenegger starting 18 games. The pair has combined for a .908 save percentage and  2.88 goals against average.
  • In 18 starts this season, Langenegger has posted a 7-10-1 overall record with a .911 save percentage and a 2.73 goals against average. The sophomore goaltender has set new career highs in wins (7), starts (18), games played (18) and shutouts (3) this season. Among CCHA goaltenders, Langenegger ranks fourth in save percentage (.911), third in goals against average (2.73), and sixth in saves (502). 
  • Langenegger posted his third shutout of the season on Saturday, Feb. 12 in the team's 4-0 win over Ferris State. The Laker goalie stopped all 20 shots that he faced in the game against the Bulldogs. 
  • Langenegger set a new single-game career high in saves as he stopped 46 shots of the 51 shots he faced in the team's 5-1 loss to Bemidji State on Jan. 7. 
  • On Dec. 3 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 stopped 42 shots 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 12 games played this season, Eisele has totaled a 2.83 goals against average and a .913 save percentage while recording a 7-5-0 record. Eisele has set new season-highs in games played (12), starts (12) and wins (7) this season. Among CCHA goaltenders, Eisele ranks third in save percentage (.912), and fifth in goals against average (2.83). 
  • Following the team's series at Northern Michigan on Jan. 28-29, Eisele earned CCHA Goaltender of the Week honors after backstopping the Lakers to a road split at No. 20 NMU. In Friday's 6-1 win, Eisele stopped 40 of the 41 shots as he was named the First Star in the game. The Laker goalie recorded 33 saves in the team's 2-1 overtime loss on Jan. 29 to finish the weekend with 73 saves on 76 shots faced in 122:30 minutes played, totaling a.961 save percentage and a 1.68 goals against average in the series. 
  • 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 132 career games and has totaled 58 points (12G, 46A), which ranks second among all active Lakers. Nordqvist ranks first among all active Laker defensemen in career points.
  • This season, Nordqvist has posted 12 points (4G, 8A) 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. 
  • Nordqvist posted three points in the team's series against No. 19 Northern Michigan on Dec. 10-11 as he extended his point streak to three games (1G, 3A). The senior defenseman recorded his third multi-point game of the season in Friday's 7-2 win with a pair of assists and followed with an assist in Saturday's 4-1 victory. 
  • 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 30 games this season, Nordqvist ranks second on the Lakers and ninth in the CCHA in blocked shots with 43.
  • 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 92 career games for the Lakers, including all 29 during the 2020-21 season.
  • Henrikson posted a career-high three points (3A) in the team's 6-1 win at No. 20 NMU on Jan. 28 and  has now set new season highs in points (5) and assists (5). 
  • 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 leads the team in blocks with 47, which ranks sixth among all CCHA players this season. 
  • 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 30 games this season, Bengtsson ranks third on the team in points (23) and leads the Lakers in assists with 21. The sophomore ranks second among all CCHA defenseman in points and ranks tied for fifth among all CCHA skaters in assists this season. Bengtsson is tied for sixth in points among all NCAA defenseman this season and is tied for eighth among all NCAA skaters this season in assists. 
  • As a sophomore, Bengtsson has set new career highs in assists (21) and points (23), and tied his previous season high in goals (2). Both of Bengtsson's goals have come on the power play. Bengtsson has posted the most assists by a Laker defenseman since Lukas Kaelble in 2018-19 when he also tallied 21 assists. 
  • Bengtsson posted a career-best four-game point streak earlier this season, from Nov. 12-20 (1G, 4A). The defenseman has recorded points in 15 of the team's games this season, with six multi-point efforts. 
  • Bengtsson posted four assists for the Lakers in a weekend sweep over No. 19 Northern Michigan on Dec. 10-11 and was named CCHA Defenseman of the Week for his play. In Friday's 7-2 win, Bengtsson recorded an assist, two blocks, and  finished the night with a +4 rating. On Saturday night, Bengtsson had a hand in three of the team's four goals in the game as the sophomore tallied three assists in the 4-1 win. The Swedish defenseman tied his single game high in points (3) and assists (3). Bengtsson was tied for the team-lead in points this weekend and led all Laker defensemen in points in the series. 
  • 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. 
  • 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 79 points (27G, 52A) in 96 career games for the Lakers, and ranks first among all active Lakers in career points. This season, Boudon has recorded points in 17 contests, and has posted nine multi-point games. The junior forward leads the Lakers in points this season with 33, as he has posted 13 goals and 20 assists. Through 29 games this season, Boudon has set a new career-high in goals (13), points (33), and game winning goals (4). 
  • Boudon, who enters the series against the Tommies riding a three-game point streak (2G, 4A), is tied for eighth nationally in points (33), tied for ninth nationally in assists (20), and tied for third nationally in game winning goals (4). Among CCHA skaters, Boudon is tied for sixth in points (33), tied for fourth in goals (13), tied for sixth in assists (20), and tied for third in faceoff wins (317). Additionally, Boudon is tied for second in power play goals (5), tied for first in shorthanded goals (2) and second in game winning goals (4) in the CCHA .
  • Most recently, Boudon posted a five-point weekend against the Ferris State Bulldogs during the weekend of Feb. 11-12. In Friday's 5-3 win, the Laker captain tallied the Lakers first goal of the game and added a pair of assists later in the night to record a three-point game. Boudon followed with a two-point effort in the team's 4-0 win on Saturday night which included the game winning goal. For his play in the series, Boudon was named CCHA Forward of the Week. 
  • In the team's 5-3 win over Ferris State on Feb. 11, Boudon became the 87th Laker all-time to record 50 career assists. 
  • Boudon recorded four points (3G, 1A) in the Lakers series against No. 19 Northern Michigan on Dec. 10-11 as he was named CCHA Forward of the Week for his play in the series. Boudon, who was tied for the team-lead in points over the weekend, notched an assist on the team's fifth goal in Friday night's 7-2 win over NMU. The Laker captain followed with a three-goal performance on Saturday night, netting his second hat trick of the season to lead the Lakers to a 4-1 win over the Wildcats. The hat trick consisted of an even strength goal, a five-on-three power play goal, and a shorthanded empty net goal. In the game, Boudon scored his third game winning goal of the season. Boudon was the first NCAA player to record multiple hat tricks this season.
  • 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.

Senior Star                          

  • Senior Miroslav Mucha has had a strong senior season for the Lakers as the forward has set new season highs in goals (8), assists (20), and points (28) this season. The senior is second among his teammates in points this season and is tied for second in both goals and assists. Mucha has recorded 13 points (5G, 8A) in the team's last 10 games and is currently riding a four-game point streak, dating back to Jan. 28. Mucha has tallied nine points (3G, 6A) in the last four games. 
  • Mucha ranks 11th in the CCHA this season in points (28), and is tied for sixth in assists (20) in the conference.  In addition, Mucha is tied ninth nationally in assists (20).
  • Earlier this season, Mucha posted a career-high five game point streak (Oct. 16 - 30). In that span, Mucha totaled two goals and eight assists, with four games being multi-point efforts.
  • The senior winger is one of the top-20 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award, which awarded to a NCAA Division I senior who has notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. Mucha, an assistant captain for the Lakers, has been a top student academically and has been named to the WCHA All-Academic Team, a WCHA Scholar-Athlete, a AHCA Krampade All-American Scholar, and to the LSSU Dean's List. The Bytca, Slovakia native has spent time throughout his college career with the Slovakian national team, most recently during Christmas break in pre-Olympic competition.
  • Most recently, Mucha notched five assists in the Lakers sweep over the Ferris State Bulldogs with back-to-back multi-point games in the series. In Friday's 5-3 win, Mucha recorded two assists and on Saturday night, Mucha tied his single-game career-high in points with three assists in the team's 4-0 win. Mucha has posted eight multi-point games this season. 
  • The senior forward is coming off a four-point series against No. 20 Northern Michigan as he posted three goals and an assist in the series. Mucha recorded his first career multi-goal game in the team's 6-1 win on Friday night while posting three points in the game, to tie his previous single-game career high. For his play in the series, Mucha was named CCHA Forward of the Week on Jan. 31.
  • Mucha posted three points (1G, 2A) in the team's series against No. 19 NMU on Dec. 10-11. The forward recorded his fifth multi-point game of the season in Friday's 7-2 win, which included his first career power play goal. Mucha followed with an assist in the team's 4-1 win on Saturday night. 
  • 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.

Offensive Output                  

  • Through 30 games this season, the Lakers have five forwards with 15 points or more which includes Josh Nixon, Brandon Puricelli, and Harrison Roy.
  • Nixon (7G, 11A) ranks fourth on the Lakers this season with 18 points while Roy, who has appeared in 22 games this season, follows with 16 points (6G, 10A) to rank fifth on the Lakers. Puricelli, who has played in 18 games this season, has posted 15 points (8G, 7A) this year.
  • Nixon, a freshman forward, leads all Laker rookies in scoring. Nixon ranks second among CCHA first year skaters in points this season with 18. 
  • Nixon scored his first point as a Laker with an assist on Oct. 9 at No. 3 Michigan and followed with his first career goal on Oct. 22 in the Lakers 5-2 win over Union. The freshman registered a four-point performace on Oct. 22 with three assists in addition to the goal. After finishing the month of October with eight points (1G, 7A), Nixon was named CCHA Rookie of the Month. 
  • The freshman received his second conference accolade on Dec. 6 (CCHA Rookie of the Week) after posting his first career multi-goal game of the season with two goals in the team's 3-0 win at Ferris State on Dec. 3. Nixon netted his first collegiate game winning goal in the win. 
  • Nixon posted two goals in the team's 6-1 win at No. 20 Northern Michigan on Jan. 28. For his play in the series against the Wildcats, Nixon was named CCHA Rookie of the Week.
  • Puricelli, who last played on Dec. 4, has posted 12 points in his last 15 games played (6G, 6A) after posting a four-game point streak from Oct. 9 - Oct. 22. The junior forward has posted points in nine of the 20 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).
  • Roy, a sophomore forward who spent the 2020-21 season at Boston College, is coming off a two-point performance in the team's most recent series against Ferris State. Roy scored the game winning goal in Friday's 5-3 win over the Bulldogs and followed with an assist on the game's final goal in the team's 4-0 win on Saturday night. 
  • This season, Roy has set new career highs in all three main offensive categories, and has posted points in nine of the 22 games he has played in this season. Earlier this season, the sophomore forward extended his point streak and goal streak to a career-best three games. 
  • Roy 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 in the team's series against St. Lawrence. 
  • 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.

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 with a 53.5 win percentage and ranks fourth among all CCHA skaters in total faceoff wins with 304.
  • The junior forward tallied his first career multi-goal game with two goals in the Lakers 7-2 win over the No. 19 Northern Michigan Wildcats on Dec. 10. With the pair of goals, Manz has career-highs in both goals (7) and points (12) this season. 
  • In December's series at Ferris State, Manz scored his career-best fifth goal of the season in Saturday night'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.

Hats Off                                              

  • Through 30 games this season, five Lakers hat tricks have been recorded including two by Louis Boudon and one each for Timo Bakos, Benito Posa and Jake Willets. All five hat tricks have been scored on home ice. 
  • Bakos, a freshman forward, scored his first career hat trick on Saturday, Oct. 23 in the team's 5-2 win over Union College. Bakos scored a pair of power play goals which included the eventual game winner. The freshman sealed the Laker win, and the three goal effort with an empty netter in the final minute of play. 
  • Boudon scored his first collegiate hat trick in the Lakers 7-1 win over St. Lawrence on Saturday, Oct. 30. Boudon's first goal in the game gave the Lakers a 3-1 lead early in the second period and he scored a power play goal later in the period to put the team ahead 4-1.  In the final minute of the game, Boudon netted his third goal to become the second Laker to post a hat trick this season.
  • Posa, a sophomore forward, scored three goals in the team's 5-4 loss to Bemidji State on Friday, Nov. 12. Posa's first goal of the season came in the second period and the sophomore would added a power play goal in the same period to tie the game at two. With less than 30 seconds remaining in regulation, Posa completed the hat trick as he scored his third goal of the night. 
  • Boudon netted his second hat trick of the season in the team's 4-1 win over No. 19 Northern Michigan on Saturday, Dec. 11. The Laker captain evened the game at one in the first period with an even strength goal and scored the eventual game winner late in the third period as he tallied a five-on-three power play goal. Boudon capped off the hat trick with a shorthanded empty net goal to clinch the Laker win. Boudon was the first skater in the NCAA to record multiple hat tricks this season. 
  • Willets became the first Laker defenseman in program history to score a hat trick, as the junior netted three goals against his former team, the Ferrris State Bulldogs, in a 4-0 win on Saturday, Feb. 12. Willets added his first goal of the game, which came on the power play, at 5:36 of the first period to give the Lakers a 2-0 lead. The Monroe, Mich. native tallied his second goal of the game at 13:39 of the first period and Willets capped off his natural hat trick at 8:43 of the second period with his fifth goal of the season. Willets became the fourth defenseman in the NCAA to record a hat trick this season.

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 News-Talk 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.