SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State (LSSU) hockey program welcomes Branden Piku (Harrison Twp., Mich.) to the team as part of the 2023 recruiting class. 

Piku, a native of Harrison Township, Mich., spent the previous three seasons competing for the Maryland Black Bears of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) under Head Coach Clint Mylymok. He would get off to a solid start in his first year with the program, notching 13 points (6G, 7A) in his rookie season, but once he found his footing, he was able to take his game to a whole new level, erupting for a 50-point regular season as the team's leading goal-scorer (18) in his second year with the program. Piku would follow that up with a strong line of 17-23-40 in 41 games during the 2022-23 regular season, and he was named the East Division Star of the Week for Dec. 5-11, 2022 after a five-point weekend against the Philadelphia Rebels that featured him scoring the game-winning goal in a 5-4 overtime victory.

In the 2023 Robertson Cup Playoffs, Piku would step up in a major way for his team, leading the NAHL in playoff points (15) as he propelled the Black Bears to their first ever East Division Championship.

Piku ages out of junior hockey as the Black Bears' all-time leader in points (122) and power play goals (12) while ranking second in the franchise's history in goals (45) and assists (77).

Piku and the Lakers are set to kick off the 2023-24 regular season on Saturday, Oct. 7 at Michigan State.