Sophomore forward relishes his part in Lakers' home-ice fortunes

By LINDA BOUVET, LSSU Sports Information Director

Lake Superior State is 5-3-6 with four shootout victories on home ice this season. While the Lakers are starting to learn how to be Central Collegiate Hockey Association road warriors, they’ve brought home fans to their feet on several occasions. Sophomore forward Ben Power will never forget scoring the game-winning shootout goal against Michigan State on Jan. 15 in front of LSSU’s biggest home crowd since the year 2000.

“From an energy standpoint, you can’t compare the feeling you get when you’re at home,” said Power, a Montreal, Quebec, native who led LSSU rookies in scoring in 2009-10. “That was the biggest crowd I’ve had a chance to play in front of here at Lake State. It was electric, really. The crowd started the wave. I haven’t seen that here in my career. It definitely pumps you up, gives you life and energy. It’s like having a sixth man advantage.”

Power was the Lakers’ fourth shooter against the Spartans. Prior to Power’s attempt, LSSU rookie goaltender Kevin Kapalka had allowed one goal and dislocated his shoulder when making a save.

“I was so fired up to have won against Michigan State in that kind of close, grinding game,” Power said. “Coach gave me the nod to be the fourth shooter. I made a move on the goalie and was able to finish it off for the boys. It was definitely a great feeling, and much-needed. Kevin was having problems with his shoulder. Things were getting a bit dicey there at the end. We definitely didn’t want things to linger much longer.”

There was a celebration pile-on after Power scored his shootout goal.

“You can’t hold that stuff in,” he said with a kid-like innocence.

LSSU has a three-game home unbeaten streak heading into this weekend’s home series against Alaska. The Lakers were 3-1-0 during back-to-back road series at Bowling Green State and Northern Michigan. Power’s scoring totals of 2-2—4 are down from last year, but he is excited to be part of a successful sophomore class with such a bright college hockey future.

“I live with Zach (Trotman) and Dom (Monardo),” Power said. “The three of us are very competitive people. As I’ve gotten to know them, I’ve seen them put a lot of effort into this game and this school. We want to succeed. We want to provide for the team more than anything. We want to bring our best effort, whether it’s in the goal or assist category, and provide for the team in whatever way we can…We want to get back to the Laker tradition of big winning seasons. We think it’s there. We’re coming along. We’re excited for the chance to finish the year strongly and make a push.”

Like many Canadian players, Power’s route to LSSU included the difficult choice of whether to play major junior or college hockey. When he was 16 years old, Power was drafted by the Quebec Remparts coached by NHL great Patrick Roy.

“A big year for me was when I played midget AAA for the Lac st Louis Lions as a 15-year-old,” Power said. “That was a big deal. It was my first real competitive season of hockey. Danny DuPont taught me how the game was supposed to be played. It was ‘go time.’ It was no longer about just showing up at the rink. There was a job to be done. I learned so much from them.”

A close family friend, Greg Orsini, who runs a development center named Rapid Reaction Hockey in Montreal, helped Power weigh the pros and cons of major junior vs. college hockey.

“My head was spinning a hundred different ways,” Power recalled. “I was way too young to face that decision. It was overwhelming in a sense, to be thrown into that environment. A big part of me wanted to make that jump and see what would happen.”

Orsini has found, in his experience, that major juniors is a good option for exceptional students who are equipped to continue studies on their own or have the wherewithal to attend college when they are finished playing hockey. Colleges, on the other hand, keep their athletes on track academically and make them better students. He said that both tracks can lead to pro hockey, but they both have drawbacks.

“In our area, we hear a lot of parents say, ‘My son is not a very good student, so he should go junior major,’” said Orisni, who disagrees with NCAA regulations that have different eligibility standards for top-level junior players in the United States vs. Canada. “That’s more reason to go play college hockey. My son went that route. He had learning disabilities, and started at prep school. He became a better student, but college didn’t help his hockey unfortunately. Another boy, Louie Leblanc, a Canadiens draft pick, is a very bright student and exceptional hockey player. He could do three or four years of junior major and still go back to college, and still become a very good student.”

“My parents were always supportive and wanted me to make the decision that would make me happy,” Power said. “I spoke to Greg about both options. I wanted to pursue an education as well as play hockey, and I needed a little more time to develop. College was the perfect step. I could grow up, and play past the age of 20, which you can’t do at the junior level.”

After Power made that pivotal decision, he enjoyed a successful juniors career and helped the Kingston Voyageurs take the 2009 Dudley Hewitt Cup (Central Canada Junior A championship). LSSU coaches Tim Christian and Rich Metro saw Power’s first junior-level game. After time had passed, Power eventually got a call from LSSU head coach Jim Roque.

“I was thrilled,” Power said. “I remember thinking I needed some time to make the choice. A week or two later, I remember thinking I’m putting too much into this. It was a no-brainer. There were no cons in my opinion. It’s a great school with great people. There wasn’t much to think about.”

As a rookie, Power had the luxury of playing on a line with scoring leaders Rick Schofield and Will Acton. He’s had to find his own way this season, but has adjusted to the academic rigors of being a student-athlete and is better able to focus on hockey as a sophomore.

As a player, he’s turned out to be a pretty creative guy,” said Orsini, who has known Power since he was born, but hasn’t seen him play a college game. “He definitely needs to work on his strength. But guys he played with at the bantam and midget levels that he is considered better than are now playing minor pro and in the NHL. If they got a shot at it, I would think Ben could someday get a tryout and work his way through the system. He’s good with the puck, has good vision and good individual skills. Around here we all want nothing but the best for him.”