LSSU rings in the New Year with a CCHA match-up at Yost

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – Lake Superior State heads to Yost Ice Arena for its first Central Collegiate Hockey Association match-up of 2012 and has a new year’s resolution of wanting to end its 13-game losing streak against Michigan.

Eighteenth-ranked LSSU is coming off Tuesday’s exhibition win over Western Ontario, 3-2. The Lakers (12-8-2 overall, 7-6-1-1 CCHA) sit in fourth place in the CCHA with 23 points. Their last victory over U-M was Feb. 16, 2007, and they last won in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Feb. 10, 2006.

No. 16 Michigan (11-8-3 overall, 5-6-3-1 CCHA), unbeaten in its last five games, is currently eighth in the league standings with 19 points. The Wolverines are coming off a Great Lakes Invitational championship where they defeated Boston College 4-2 and Michigan State 3-2 in overtime Dec. 29-30.

The Wolverines lead the all-time series, 61-46-6, including a 28-18-3 record at Yost Arena. Last season, they swept LSSU 7-2 and 3-2 in Ann Arbor, where eight of the Lakers’ last 10 games against U-M have been played.

Senior defenseman Kyle Haines (3-11—14; 2011-12) led the Lakers with two goals against Michigan during the 2010-11 season. Senior forward Fred Cassiani (3-9—12; 2011-12) tallied a goal and an assist, while junior forward Domenic Monardo (8-12—20; 2011-12) and sophomore forward Nick Shkreli (0-1—1; 2011-12) each netted an assist.

Michigan returns nine out of 16 point-grabbers from 2010-1. Junior forward Chris Brown, who tallied just one assist against the Lakers last season, leads Michigan in points in 2011-12 with 6-12—18.  Junior forward Kevin Lynch compiled 3-1—4 against the Lakers last season. Eleven U-M players have at least 10 points during this year’s campaign.

Monardo leads LSSU in points with 20, while junior forward Nick McParland (10-6—16) sits in second place. McParland and sophomore forward Kyle Jean (10-5—15) are the Lakers’ top goal scorers.

In conference play, Monardo is tied for third in points with 7-7—14, while Brown of U-M is tied for sixth with 4-9—13. Jean, Monardo and McParland are all ranked among the top 10 in goals scored. Michigan, however, is ranked third in scoring offense, averaging 3.07 goals per game, while LSSU is ranked sixth at 2.71.

The Lakers, who have given up only one power-play goal in their last five official games, are ranked fifth nationally on the penalty kill (.886). Against CCHA opponents, LSSU is fourth on the penalty kill (.875) and tied for second on the power-play (.200) with Michigan State and Ohio State. LSSU is ranked second and U-M eighth in combined special teams.

Friday night’s game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Detroit and 99.5 Yes FM. Saturday’s game will be televised live on Comcast local in Ann Arbor and broadcast on 99.5 Yes FM. Both games will start at 7:35 p.m.