Whether taking the lead or providing support...

By LINDA BOUVET, LSSU Sports Information Director

Sophomore forward Fred Cassiani spent his rookie season as an apprentice working with two of Lake Superior State's most-prolific scorers of the past decade. Now that Josh Sim and Troy Schwab have moved on, LSSU's 2009 Rookie of the Year intends to make the most of what he learned from his veteran teammates.

"It is different not playing between the two seniors," said Cassiani, who totaled 11 goals and 10 assists as a freshman and has 5-8-13 through 24 games in 2009-10. "It's a bit of an adjustment having to produce on my own, but it's helped me develop as a player."

This season, Cassiani centers junior Chad Nehring, who is enjoying a breakout season, and freshman Nick McParland. Nehring is second on the team in goals scored with 11 and is tied for 12th nationally in power-play goals with six.

"We find we work well together and enjoy working hard," Cassiani said. "Benefits come with working hard. We seem to find each other on the ice, which is why Coach kept us together. I'm a little bit finesse, and (Chad and I) both like to work in the corners and grind it out. Not many guys have a chance against us if we're working that hard...The physical play opens up room for players like me to be creative and do the things we need to do to get goals. It's not just getting penalties (and power-play opportunities). It opens up space for guys like us."

Cassiani described Schwab, who was the Lakers' first 100-point scorer since 1998, as a great playmaker, and Sim as a "workhorse."

"They were both preachers of teamwork," he recalled.

Cassiani proudly contributed to their outstanding senior seasons and now is equally thrilled to have a stake in Nehring's great year.

"He's the kind of guy who hasn't been rewarded in the past," Cassiani said of Nehring. "He provides a big body presence in front of the net and doesn't mind getting his nose dirty when getting those goals."

Cassiani has adapted well to LSSU coach Jim Roque's approach with the players. He likes that Roque allows them to have a say in their own personal and professional development.

"Now that we're older and more mature, he sort of lets us do things ourselves to get better," Cassiani said. "He gives us a guideline, and the amount of work we put in is up to us. We respect that. We should want to excel and further our own careers."

The 5-10, 179 pounder knows that his priority is to increase physical strength if he is to do his part in the corners.

"He's doing pretty well for himself," co-captain Rick Schofield said. "He has tenacity on the ice. He wins battles, even for a guy his size. He can still be physical, and he's really smart too...Freddy is one of those guys you need on the team - he's one of the hardest-working guys in practice and out of the rink."

Cassiani, who was encouraged to play hockey at age 4 by his father, Alfred, competed at the AAA level until Grade 9, when he was a minor bantam. He is most-appreciative of the support he received from his father when he opted to drop down to AA where he could catch up physically with other players his age.

"A lot of guys were getting drafted into the OHL, and there was a lot of pressure," Cassiani said. "It was a tough time to change, but it benefitted me in the end. I made the jump from AA to Junior A, and I was lucky for that to happen."

Cassiani played Junior A hockey for the St. Michael's Buzzers and coach Chris DePiero. He started out as the team's 13^th forward. During his final Junior A season in 2007-08, he was the Ontario Provincial Hockey League's No. 3 scorer with 32 goals and 57 assists.

"I got up to the second line by the time that first season ended," Cassiani said. "My Junior A coach was a big influence, and there is a lot of tradition there. The motto at the school is ‘Goodness, Discipline, Knowledge,' and they brought that into the hockey program. Discipline is huge with that team, and that led us to a championship two years in a row."

Support from teammates, coaches and parents eased Cassiani's transition to college hockey.

"Coach Roque gave me more opportunities than I could have imagined," he said.

For Cassiani, the obvious difference between this year's season and last year's is winning.

"Winning is definitely contagious," he said. "The guys have a better feeling in the room when we're winning. We're starting to realize our potential. During the last month we've found that when we keep playing the whole 60 minutes."

As Cassiani enters the toughest stretch of his sophomore season, he notes last year's Alaska trip as his most-memorable collegiate experience so far. He makes a return trip to the tundra in late February.

"I really enjoyed the Alaska trip," he said. "It was a completely different atmosphere than any other college. It was a hostile atmosphere. The townspeople really get into the team. It's a really long trip, but a place I've never been before in my life...Scoring a goal on them is a huge accomplishment, let alone winning a game."