LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

[RealLaker94]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

Sophomore D man Jason Bird has left the Lakers apparently. I can only speculate it my be due to lack of playing time, etc., but if anyone has any facts that would be great. If it's a personal issue, we can just leave it at that.

Laker Alum Colin Campbell scored the winning goal and was the Player of the Game for the Grand Rapids Griffins last night:
http://www.griffinshockey.com/news/releases/?article_id=3221

 

[altazo]

ASU will probably join the NCHC, but as stated, I think that will be temporary. I really don't think they are able to join the Big 10 if they're not a part of the conference in other sports.

So how would you explain Johns Hopkins currently being an associate member of the Big 10 for Lacrosse only?

 

[RealLaker94]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

So how would you explain Johns Hopkins currently being an associate member of the Big 10 for Lacrosse only?

I guess I can't! Sorry, I don't follow lacrosse. I know when all of the hockey realignment was going on, statements were being made that teams like Notre Dame couldn't join the Big Ten in hockey because they weren't in that conference for their other sports. Maybe exceptions can be made for other sports like lacrosse, or maybe those other statements were false. Who knows.

 

[altazo]

I guess I can't! Sorry, I don't follow lacrosse. I know when all of the hockey realignment was going on, statements were being made that teams like Notre Dame couldn't join the Big Ten in hockey because they weren't in that conference for their other sports. Maybe exceptions can be made for other sports like lacrosse, or maybe those other statements were false. Who knows.

Those statements were false.

I don't follow Lacrosse either, but I know sometimes conferences have associate members for certain sports that all the full membership schools may not sponsor (like hockey).

My suspicion is that the Big 10 has wanted Notre Dame to be a member in football for like 40 years, so they weren't going to let them join for hockey only.

FWIW, I never heard of Notre Dame having any interest in joining the Big 10 for hockey only anyways, but I certainly could have missed that.

 

[altazo]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

I would be very surprised if the Big 10 is not the conference that ASU joins for hockey as an associate member...

 

[Bill]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

I would be very surprised if the Big 10 is not the conference that ASU joins for hockey as an associate member...

That's where I think they'll most likely wind up. Big schools, big money.

 

[Almington]

I guess I can't! Sorry, I don't follow lacrosse. I know when all of the hockey realignment was going on, statements were being made that teams like Notre Dame couldn't join the Big Ten in hockey because they weren't in that conference for their other sports. Maybe exceptions can be made for other sports like lacrosse, or maybe those other statements were false. Who knows.

Lacrosse is Johns Hopkin's only D-1 sport, everything else they are D-3. Johns Hopkins has a stellar academic reputation and is in the geographic area other Big Ten schools are. Also, the Big Ten needed a 6th school to form a conference and Johns Hopkins is a national lacrosse powerhouse. I will leave it to you to decide which of those was most important to the Big Ten. ASU hockey has none of those qualities.

Notre Dame Football has always been the sticking point to them joining the Big Ten. The ACC was willing to give them special treatment that the Big Ten was not.

Just an FYI from a fan of a Big Ten school who has argued these topics repeatedly.

Unfortunate that you guys had a player leave in the middle of the season, I was curious about the cause because UW has some players the OHL are trying to sign. Doesn't sound like a similar situation, more like the player who left UW last season because "hockey wasn't fun anymore" to go back to the USHL.

 

[RealLaker94]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

Those statements were false.

I don't follow Lacrosse either, but I know sometimes conferences have associate members for certain sports that all the full membership schools may not sponsor (like hockey).

My suspicion is that the Big 10 has wanted Notre Dame to be a member in football for like 40 years, so they weren't going to let them join for hockey only.

FWIW, I never heard of Notre Dame having any interest in joining the Big 10 for hockey only anyways, but I certainly could have missed that.

I'm not sure if ND wanted to join Big Ten hockey or not, just that they were one of the last hold outs until finally joining Hockey East, which is where they wanted to go. There was speculation that they would join the NCHC or Big Ten, but, again, I read statements that they couldn't join the B1G, which were apparently false. So I guess the skinny is, the B1G is still an option for ASU.

 

[altazo]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

I suspect the ND athletics dept has a clear line in the sand regarding the Big10.

Good luck this weekend!

 

[Bill]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

Unfortunate that you guys had a player leave in the middle of the season, I was curious about the cause because UW has some players the OHL are trying to sign. Doesn't sound like a similar situation, more like the player who left UW last season because "hockey wasn't fun anymore" to go back to the USHL.

I'm pretty sure that it was just a lack of playing time. We had 10 D-men on this season's roster, although one had actually been converted to a forward. The OHL was trying to sign one of our freshmen D-men; hopefully now that he's a Laker they'll back off from that somewhat.

 

[John J. MacInnes]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

So how would you explain Johns Hopkins currently being an associate member of the Big 10 for Lacrosse only?

Maryland brokered the deal to make JH an associate member for lacrosse only, because they have the #1 rivalry in the sport. Without a sixth school, the conference could not sanction the sport at varsity status. That's clearly not the case with men's hockey.

JH has a D-I women's lacrosse team will join the Big Ten in 2017, but they are D-III school in all other sports. In that, the Big Ten did not "raid" another conference to add them. The AzSt situation becomes much more complicated because of their Pac-12 affiliation in every other sport.

 

[altazo]

Maryland brokered the deal to make JH an associate member for lacrosse only, because they have the #1 rivalry in the sport. Without a sixth school, the conference could not sanction the sport at varsity status. That's clearly not the case with men's hockey.

JH has a D-I women's lacrosse team will join the Big Ten in 2017, but they are D-III school in all other sports. In that, the Big Ten did not "raid" another conference to add them. The AzSt situation becomes much more complicated because of their Pac-12 affiliation in every other sport.

My question was rhetorical...

Everyone already knows that Maryland calls the shots in the Big 10, and that the Big 10 has been just dying to get a piece of the revenue cash cow that is college Lacrosse.

 

[LakerBaker]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

Randy Russon has his Laker Notebook on www.hockeynewsnorth.com along with other exclusive coverage around the world of local hockey.

Buoyed by a brace of 1-1 ties at hostile Bowling Green State last weekend, the Lake Superior State Lakers return to the home ice of Taffy Abel Arena for Friday-Saturday contests with the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Friday’s game has a slated 7:37 p.m. start and Saturday’s match will begin at 7:07 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on radio station 99.5 YES-FM with Bill Crawford calling the play-by-play.

With an overall record of 2-6-2 and a conference mark of 0-2-2 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, the freshman-sophomore-laden Lakers are showing signs of progress under the leadership of second-year head coach Damon Whitten.

Indeed, the pair of ties at Bowling Green last weekend came against a Falcons squad that had entered the two-game series as the no. 14-ranked team in all of Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association hockey.

POINT PRODUCERS

A sophomore and two freshman forwards represent the Lakers top three scorers to date.

J.T. Henke tops the chart with 5 goals, 2 assists, 7 points while Mitch Hults has 3-2-5 numbers and Gage Torrel stands at 2-3-5.

FLASH GORDON

Laker goalie Gordon Defiel seems to have shrugged off a sluggish start to the 2015-2016 season.

The sophomore puck-stopper, who led the nation in saves as a freshman, turned aside 70 of 72 shots in the two games at Bowling Green to improve his overall record on the season to 1-4-2 with a .900 save percentage and 3.21 goals against average.

OWEN UP TO IT

Despite being the youngest player on the 28-man roster, 1997 birth-year defenseman Owen Headrick has worked his way into the lineup for all 10 games the Lakers have played thus far this season.

The freshman blueliner, who hails from Garden River First Nation, has a goal and an assist in 10 outings as a Laker.

Headrick was a standout the past two seasons for the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.

Along with sophomore Kyle Chatham, who also has a goal and an assist, Headrick is tied for the Laker scoring lead among defensemen.

Two other Laker defensemen, sophomores Ryan Renz and James Roll, also have two points apiece, both with a pair of assists.

BYE BYE, BIRD

The Lakers have confirmed that sophomore defenseman Jason Bird has opted to leave the team, effective immediately.

Bird, who appeared in 23 games as a freshman, had not appeared in a single game for the Lakers this season.

See you at the rink this weekend, let's pack the Taffy Abel Arena.

Ringy Dingy

 

[LakerBaker]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

The Arizona State University hockey team returns to action after a week off from games for two road games against Lake Superior State. ASU dropped its last games against Wisconsin and faces a WCHA opponent for the third time this season.

Last Time Out For The Sun Devils

The Sun Devils were swept on the road against Wisconsin Oct. 30-31 and lost a heartbreaker in Game 2 by one goal. Jordan Masters had a goal in both games, extending a four-game streak with a goal and leads the team in both goals (4) and points (9). Ryland Pashovitz was he goalie for both games, saving 88 of 94 shots (93.6%). The Sun Devils were off last weekend and are 2-2 in their last four games.

Last Time Out For The Lakers

Lake Superior State had an odd weekend, skating to a 1-1 tie in both games at Bowling Green. Gordon Defiel was in net both night for the Lakers, making 42 and 28 saves in Friday and Saturday, respectively. Josh Nenadal had the lone goal Friday, while Zach Loesch netted his first of the season in Saturday’s action. Lake Superior State is winless in its last five games.

Powers On Facing Lake Superior State

“We had a very productive week of practice during our off week and shored up some things we needed to work on. Our guys are really excited to get back out on the road and play two games against a great college hockey program in Lake Superior State."

Against The Lakers

Sun Devil Hockey has never played Lake Superior State. ASU has played two WCHA teams, dropping a 3-2 game in overtime to Alaska Anchorage and knocking off Alaska Fairbanks 2-1 Oct. 9-10.

 

[herbst20]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

Recruit Nico Blachman has signed with St Johns of the Q

 

[Bill]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

Recruit Nico Blachman has signed with St Johns of the Q

He decommitted a little while back. Unsure what the deal was with him. He played AAA for Omaha U16 and Omaha U18 most of last season, then played a few games for Sioux Falls (USHL) at the end of the season. He started out this season with Chicago in the USHL but played sporadically, decommitted from LSSU and now has wound up in the Q. Makes you think there are issues with either he or his advisor or both.

 

[blackswampboy]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

That is why Bowling Green is holding on to all the CCHA material. If you talk to people from Bowling Green, they think there is a shot the CCHA will be reformed and the reason being is cost of travel.

kinda, sort of. regardless of whether the CCHA ever comes back, all that valuable material needs to be archived, yes?
as for rights to the name, I believe control fell to BGSU for being the oldest remaining member when the conference went kaput. not much more to it than that.
of course if some day the conferences completely blow up again, what could be better than Bowling Green at the center of a new CCHA universe?

 

[herbst20]

He decommitted a little while back. Unsure what the deal was with him. He played AAA for Omaha U16 and Omaha U18 most of last season, then played a few games for Sioux Falls (USHL) at the end of the season. He started out this season with Chicago in the USHL but played sporadically, decommitted from LSSU and now has wound up in the Q. Makes you think there are issues with either he or his advisor or both.

Sorry Elite Prospects still listed him as a recruit.

 

[Bill]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

Chase Gamelin picked up a couple of goals for Brookings (NAHL) yesterday. He's finally starting to put some points on the board; 4G and 4A for 8 points in 16 games. Will Gauthier on the other hand has no points in 12 games for Brookings. I'm unsure if he's missed 4 games due to injury/illness or has been a healthy scratch. I have a tough time seeing Gauthier making it as a Laker unless something lights a fire under him before too long.

 

[Bill]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

Sorry Elite Prospects still listed him as a recruit.

I understand. His decommittment wasn't exactly widely publicized. I just happened to see it on Twitter a little while back. I like Elite Prospects but there info isn't always up-to-date or accurate.