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LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

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

Tough weekend but we are still much better than where we were last season. We won two games this October unlike last October where we didn't win a single game. I think this team is going through some growing pains right now. Hopefully we can get a split at BGSU.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

Bill said:
I thought defense was an issue both nights, and I include forwards in defensive play, not just D-men. Offense looked very good on Friday, not so good on Saturday. I really liked a lot of what I saw from the new guys. More offensive potential than we've had in years; more team speed and that should improve even more in the future.

We should have won Friday. Too many mistakes on defensive coverage. Gordie didn't seem to be seeing the puck that well. Guerriero made some big saves for UAH ( but we still got 4 by him). Not sure how many, but we hit several posts. We didn't do a good job of playing with the lead in the 3rd period. Our new forwards showed a lot of offensive skill and potential.

Saturday we just looked out of synch on offense most of the night. Passes weren't crisp and accurate. We had several 3 on 2 odd man rushes where we wound up going offsides. I thought we were a touch slow making decisions on what to do with the puck. Offensive chemistry wasn't there on Saturday. A couple of good things from Saturday despite the loss. We held UAH to 19 shots overall. We generated a lot of shots, especially on the PP. I didn't think we did a god job of getting traffic in front of Larose on Saturday, either to screen him or create deflections. He played solid in net, but he was seeing everything we threw at him. We had some shots from grade A areas but he played positionally well and we just weren't hitting the corners of the net like we needed to do to beat him. On one of our PPs in the 2nd period, with UAH up 3-0, we had a guy come in backdoor on Larose, wide open, but the pass to him was too far back, at his feet, and he couldn't do anything with it. Should have been an easy tap in goal and might have given us some momentum. Couldn't fault Kossoff too much. Really bad defensive lapses on 1st 2 goals; guys wide open by the net and he didn't have a chance. 3rd goal looked to be a screen shot from the point that he never saw. 4th goal we gave their guy too much room and he rifled a hard wrist shot into a corner off the net from pretty much out front. 5th goal looked like a shot that was going to miss the net but deflected in off either our D-man or their forward (not sure which).

Give the Chargers credit. They play hard. Not too flashy. This weekend they did a good job of getting shots from the points and creating screens in front of our goalies. And taking advantage of our defensive mistakes.

Larose got a shutout Saturday but I thought Guerriero faced more tougher shots on Friday.

Anyway, some thoughts from my perspective. Others may have different thoughts. Some of it depends on where you sit and what it looks like from your angle.
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That pretty much describes my point of view and I was sitting about the complete opposite of you Bill. Of all the games I seen the Lakers play this year Saturday was by far the worst. One thing I would like to see is them play with some more poise when they have the lead late in games. Foolish breakdowns killed us. With more experience that should come.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

What bothers me is the fact that the defense is made up of second year and higher year players and I am reading on here from the ones who were at the games, how they felt the defense was absent in so many of the goals scored on Kossoff and Gordie. I would think from the second year players on up that they know how this game is now played at the college level and yet people feel the defense is out of sync with each other. Sounds as if the freshmen offense is out performing a returning defense unit.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

It seems that way in person but maybe the forwards last season helped out more in the defensive end. Keep in mind that before Saturday nights game this team was way ahead of last year's team but also before Saturdays game they had a lot of work to do to get better. I hope this past weekend only fuels their desire to work harder and play better with leads.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

sm2pk said:
What bothers me is the fact that the defense is made up of second year and higher year players and I am reading on here from the ones who were at the games, how they felt the defense was absent in so many of the goals scored on Kossoff and Gordie. I would think from the second year players on up that they know how this game is now played at the college level and yet people feel the defense is out of sync with each other. Sounds as if the freshmen offense is out performing a returning defense unit.
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It was mainly sophomore and freshmen D-men who played this weekend. We are still pretty young at that position. Drapluk obviously played and he's a senior, but that was the exception. The forwards have a role in playing defense also and we have a lot of new guys at that position. Don't discount that. Overall, defensive play is my main concern at this point. It needs to be better, and we also need Defiel to get back to form.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

A very and informative Laker Hockey Show last night, with the Voice of the Lakers, Bill Crawford and head coach Damon Whitten. The hour long show talked about all things Laker Hockey, and answered many questions posed on this forum.

If you didn't have a chance to listen you can hear the podcast at http://lakers.sovcomm.net/

The Hockey North Show, with Randy Russon, is tonite at 5 p.m. on ESPN 1400 radio http://stream.1400espn.net/ Randy goes around the rinks, including the Taffy Abel Arena in his latest article on Hockey News North http://www.hockeynewsnorth.com/ohl/around-the-rinks-2/

Don't forget about the exciting new show Laker Talk, on Wednesday mornings at 8:30 on ESPN 1400 radio http://stream.1400espn.net/ with Bill and Damon, where they talk more about this weekend's series at Bowling Green State University.

Bill Crawford will have the call of both games on the official station for Lake Superior State University Hockey YES FM www.yesfm.net

They will also be traveling in style http://www.lssulakers.com/sports/m-hockey/2015-16/releases/bus_wrap

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

How was Whittens reaction to the two loses this past weekend ?
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

sm2pk said:
How was Whittens reaction to the two loses this past weekend ?
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He was disappointed and said losing the Friday game in particular with a 2 goal lead in the 3rd period was unacceptable. But he keeps pretty level headed about it and said everyone needs to do better, including the coaches. He found some positive things to take away from the series.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

Sorry went to the wrong thread so here we go again. Went to Saturdays game and was very unimpressed with the play. Does anyone know why the captain sat both nights and Globke was scratched also? In previous years I thought Globke was the best player? Nice crowd though.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

Randy Russon previews the Lake Superior State University hockey Lakers big road trip to Bowling Green State University, along with other original stories on Hockey News North http://www.hockeynewsnorth.com and Sault This Week http://www.saultthisweek.com/sports

Lake Superior State University Lakers face a daunting duo of road tests on Friday and Saturday as they go up against Western Collegiate Hockey Association foes from Bowling Green State University.

The Lakers are off to an 0-2 start in conference play and are 2-6 overall following last weekend’s two home losses to Alabama Huntsville.

Both games at Bowling Green this weekend against the Falcons, who are ranked 14th in the nation, will be broadcast live on radio station 99.5 YES-FM.

LSSU will be looking to right the good ship Laker, which seemed to be sailing smoothly following consecutive non-conference victories at home against Northern Michigan and at Michigan State in October. But three successive losses dashed LSSU’s hopes of finishing the opening month on a winning note.

Appearing on this week’s edition of the Laker Hockey Show, which airs on Mondays at 6 p.m. on radio station ESPN 1400, LSSU coach Damon Whitten spoke of the games ahead at Bowling Green.

“Yes it’s Bowling Green, the 14th-ranked team in the nation but really, there is no easy weekend. Every Friday and Saturday night comes another test,” said Whitten.

Despite the three losses in a row, Whitten noted that the Lakers “have been in every game so far this season.”

Younger players have been leading the Lakers offensively thus far this season.

Sophomore forward J.T. Henke leads the Lakers in scoring with 5 goals, 2 assists, 7 points and had the hat trick in a 5-4 overtime loss to Alabama Huntsville last Friday.

Next on the Laker scoring log are a pair of freshmen forwards, Mitch Hults and Gage Torrel. Hults has 3 goals, 2 assists, 5 points and Torrel has 2 goals, 3 assists, points.

Another Laker freshman, defenceman Owen Headrick from Garden River First Nation, has a goal and an assist and has played in all 8 games as the youngest player on the LSSU roster.

Of note, Laker freshmen have accounted for 10 of LSSU’s 18 goals thus far this season. The 10 goals are the most by any freshman class in the entire WCHA, according to LSSU sports information director Eddie Bishop.

Goaltending has not been a Laker strength, however.

Between sophomore Gordon Defiel and freshman Nick Kossoff, Laker goalies have a 3.62 goals against average and .872 save percentage in 8 games.

After this weekend, the Lakers return home to face Arizona State on November 13-14.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

Anyone here making the trip to Bowling Green this weekend? I will be my second trip there from the Sault.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

LSSULaker889294 said:
Anyone here making the trip to Bowling Green this weekend? I will be my second trip there from the Sault.
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Not me. I've got some other things going on that have me tied up this weekend. I've been to BG a few times, but not this weekend. I think sm2pk often goes to the Laker games at BG; unsure if he is this season.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

We will be there for Saturdays night game. We have plans for Friday that will keep us away . We have real good friends in Bowling Green we go to the games with and the last few years it has been no fun watching them win and us lose. They are good about it and only rub in it for a little while.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2015-16: The 50th season

sm2pk said:
We will be there for Saturdays night game. We have plans for Friday that will keep us away . We have real good friends in Bowling Green we go to the games with and the last few years it has been no fun watching them win and us lose. They are good about it and only rub in it for a little while.
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We won the Friday game down there last season and played them tough on Saturday. Bowling Green is a fine team well coached and talented players.
 
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