During the fall, FloHockey’s WCHA State of the Program sequence hinged Lake Superior State’s upcoming season on its large senior class; fast forward nearly six months and those seniors have carried the Lakers in 2018-19.
The Lakers’ 20-10-2 overall record is their first 20-win campaign since 2006-07, when they finished 21-19-3. Fifth-year head coach Damon Whitten is leading the storied program into the future and a whiff of a winning culture will help draw recruits back to Sault Ste. Marie, a town eyeing its first NCAA Tournament bid since 1996.
Sitting at No. 18 in the latest USCHO Poll and 19th in the PairWise Rankings—which is the typical preface to the eventual field of 16 teams—the Lakers hope to book a trip in the coming weeks to tournament host-city Buffalo.
“We like our team, the team believes in each other and those things are all kind of coming together the second half,” Whitten told USCHO Spotlight earlier this month. “It’s been a pretty good run.”
The @USCHO Spotlight features @HockeyLSSU head coach Damon Whitten this week!
— WCHA Men's Hockey (@WCHA_MHockey) February 14, 2019
?https://t.co/y54RB0Wmc1#WeAreWCHA | #TraditionStartsHere | #BelieveInBlue pic.twitter.com/r4r1AtJFdx
That “run” started on Dec. 7, and the Lakers have gone 13-2-1 since, including claiming the program’s first-ever Great Lakes Invitational title. It was LSSU’s first invitation to the annual tournament since 1999 and fourth overall (1-1-1-1) since the GLI’s inception in 1965.
But the Lakers have been far more than a hot streak this season. They opened the campaign with a five-game winning streak with a team commitment to 200-foot hockey and a locker room that holds itself accountable.
While Whitten is quick to dismiss adversity this season, the still-young Lakers seemed to have their belief shook in November, where they went 2-6-1 after a tough loss to then-No. 12 Michigan.
But the accountability shone through and the Lakers rediscovered their early season success with a sweep over WCHA foe Alaska to end the fall semester. That sweep carried them into a GLI tournament victory and rising recognition across the NCAA.
It’s been a group effort, but that effort has stemmed from the senior class, led by forwards Diego Cuglietta, Anthony Nellis and Gage Torrel and goaltender Nick Kossoff.
The forwards sit top-four in team scoring. Cuglietta sits second in the NCAA with 20 goals and a team-leading 34 points through 30 games. Anthony Nellis is tied for second on the team in goals (14) and points (30). Gage Torrel is second on the team with 17 assists and tied for fourth with 22 points.
Goaltender Nick Kossoff separated himself from the season-opening tandem with sophomore Mareks Mitens. Kossoff has gone 14-5-2 with a 2.52 GAA, .911 SV%, and .714 win percentage.
Each player is building on career seasons with the Lakers and helping to re-establish the program’s winning history for the youthful team behind them. The largest question mark left is the young defense and its resiliency come playoff hockey.
Outsiders might be skeptical of the Lakers’ blue line after losing three senior defensemen over the summer. After junior Collin Saccoman, Whitten has rolled out three sophomores and a freshman as lineup regulars. The last spot has been a transition between another sophomore and freshman.
Where the blue line may be a weak spot on paper, Whitten’s defense has been a strong point due to its mobility, awareness, and poise.
“Our defense played extremely well and we had good goaltending” Whitten said following the Lakers’ first sweep of Michigan Tech since 1983-84. “We knew they would present a big challenge.”
Watch head coach Damon Whitten's postgame interview following the Lakers' sweep of Michigan Tech.https://t.co/DQt0LSoUmt#BelieveInBlue #WeAreWCHA
— Lake State Hockey (@HockeyLSSU) February 17, 2019
The Lakers’ defense has been up to nearly every challenge this season and has helped the team establish the fifth-best winning percentage in the NCAA. The Lakers don’t have to look far back for the precedent of what a young defense can accomplish; Minnesota Duluth claimed the 2018 NCAA Tournament with five true freshmen on the blue line.
The Lakers’ efficacy, accountability, and belief will only help their run for a 2019 NCAA Tournament bid.
Don’t miss your chance to stream the Lakers’ remaining series live, right here on FloHockey. They visit Northern Michigan this weekend before hosting Ferris State to wrap up the regular season March 1-2. A strong finish could be the recipe for an NCAA Tournament bid.
Have a question or a comment for Jacob Messing? You can find him on Twitter @Jacob_Messing.