LSSU closes out first half of CCHA schedule at Western Michigan
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – Lake Superior State is unbeaten in five straight at home, but still seeks its first road win of 2010-11 heading into this weekend’s Central Collegiate Hockey Association series at Western Michigan.
The Lakers (5-9-4 overall, 3-6-3-2 CCHA) and Broncos (7-5-4 overall, 3-4-3-2 CCHA), who are tied for seventh place in the CCHA with 14 points, play at 7:35 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Kalamazoo, Mich.
LSSU leads the all-time series, 67-43-13, and is 27-27-10 on the road against Western Michigan.
The Broncos have Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. ties with their new head coach, Jeff Blashill, who replaced Jim Culhane after a successful head coaching stint with the Indiana Ice of the United States Hockey League. Blashill’s father, Jim, is a retired LSSU criminal justice faculty member.
During the 2009-10 season, the Broncos were 1-7-2-1 during their first 10 CCHA contests. Their CCHA record so far this season is 3-4-3-2 – more than double the points in the league standings from a year ago.
The Lakers will try to snap a road winless streak of 0-7-1. Last season in Kalamazoo, Mich. the Broncos tied the Lakers 3-3, winning the shootout 1-0 in three rounds, and defeated LSSU, 2-1.
Senior forward Chad Nehring (3-1—4, 2010-11) tallied two of LSSU’s four goals and added on assist against the Broncos in 2009-10. Senior forward Rick Schofield (6-8—14, 2010-11) recorded a pair of assists, and junior forward Fred Cassiani (3-2—5, 2010-11) added a goal and assist for two points.
The Broncos are returning three of their four goal scores from the 2009-10 match-up. Max Campbell (7-8—15, 2010-11) and Patrick Nagorsen each netted a goal for WMU. Ian Slater (4-2—6, 2010-11) scored two goals.
Campbell leads Western in points with 15. Broncos Greg Squires (5-6—11), Chase Balisy (5-6—11) and Shane Berschbach (2-9—11) are all tied for second.
The Lakers are 2-4-1 during the past two seasons against WMU, including losing the 2008-09 CCHA first Round Playoffs two games to one. That record includes a 1-3-1 record at Western Michigan.
LSSU sophomore forward Domenic Monardo (8-8—16) is tied for eighth in CCHA overall point scoring and is tied for seventh overall in goal scoring. Schofield (6-8—14) is tied for fifth in CCHA overall power-play points with 1-6--7.
Sophomore Zach Trotman (4-6—10) leads LSSU in points by defensemen and is tied for fourth in the CCHA in overall defensive scoring.
Freshman goaltender Kevin Kapalka (4-4-3-2), who earned his second CCHA Goaltender of the Week honor with back-to-back shootout victories over Bowling Green State, leads the conference in save percentage (.948), is second in goals-against average (1.59) and is sixth in win percentage (.562). Kapalka is the only freshman netminder among the top 15 of those three categories. He is 11th nationally in overall save percentage at .928
