Lakers take the weekend off from CCHA play and face U.S. Under-18s

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – Lake Superior State, taking the weekend off from Central Collegiate Hockey Association play, meets the U.S. National Team Development Program’s U-18 team during a home exhibition game at 7:05 p.m. Friday at Taffy Abel Arena.

The Lakers (14-11-5 overall and 9-9-4-4 CCHA) sit in fifth place in the CCHA with 35 points, only two points shy of first place Ferris State. The CCHA, however, is still a nine-team race. LSSU has three regular-season series following its bye week.

LSSU is 1-2-0 during its last three exhibition games against the NTDP U-18 team. The last meeting was Oct. 10, 2008, and LSSU won 7-3. The U-18s are 2-5-2 this season against Division I schools and 0-1-0 against CCHA schools, losing to Michigan.

The only current Lakers who faced the U-18 team are senior forward Fred Cassiani (6-10—16) and defenseman Kyle Haines (4-13—17).

Junior forward Domenic Monardo (9-15—24) leads the Lakers in points and assists, while junior forward Nick McParland (13-7—20) is second on the Lakers in points and first in goal scoring.

The U-18s were idle last week after splitting a series against the United States Hockey league’s’s Green Bay Gamblers on Jan. 20-21. Nicolas Kerdiles (13-13—26), who is committed to Wisconsin, is the U-18’s top point grabber and tied for first on the team in goal scoring with Riley Barber. Stefan Matteau is second on the team in points with 10-13—23.

Lakers are second in the CCHA in overall power-play percentage (19.6), scoring 21 goals for 107 chances. LSSU leads the CCHA and is ranked second nationally on the penalty kill (88.7). The U-18s have a 15.9 power-play percentage, netting 31 goals in 195 chances. On the penalty kill NTDP has an 84.8 percentage.

Catch live Laker action on 99.5 Yes FM with a pay-per-view video webcast on B2/America One. LSSU is on the road Feb. 10-11 at Alaska, game time is 11:35 ET, and returns home Feb. 17-18 to play Western Michigan, at 7:05 p.m.

Promotions: LSSU is offering a Family Four-Pack and Raincheck Night for this weekend’s game. Purchase two adult tickets and two children’s tickets for $25, and receive a coupon for four free hotdogs and four free soft drinks. Purchases must be made in advance. No four-pack purchases at the ticket window after 4 p.m. on game day. Friday is also Raincheck Night for season ticket holders. Give an unused ticket from one of this season’s games to a friend. Offer is good only on Feb. 3.