LSSU Lakers

[jnacc]

Bo Cheeseman, Dominic Osman or Trent Campbell all have the potential of being top 20 scorers and expect at least one of those three to do so next year.

The real dark horse is Jeffry Rainville. He really came alive in the 2nd half and may yet develop into a solid player during his second year.

[NMU DOC]

Originally posted by Mogerfan
Well, perhaps you have all poured over the CCHA final statistics, but in case you haven't, here is a look at what all the teams are losing, compared to the Lakers.

1. Michigan - No top ten scorer /3 seniors total.
2. Miami - #1,#2,#3 scorers /7 seniors
3. Michigan State - No top ten scorer /2 seniors
4. Ohio State - #1,#2,#3,#4 scorers, Starting goalie/9 seniors
5. Notre Dame- #1,#2,#5,#6,#7 scorers /6 seniors
6. Alaska-FB - #1,#3,#5,#7,#9,#10 scorers, Starting goalie /10 seniors
7. Northern Michigan - #6 scorer, Starting goalie /5 seniors
8. Western Mi - #2,#4,#6,#10 scorer /6 seniors
9. Bowling Green - #1,#2,#3 scorer /5 seniors
10.Ferris State- #1,#5,#6 scorer /4 seniors
11.Lake Superior- #4 scorer /4 seniors
12.Neb-Omaha- #2,#3 scorer /3 seniors

So, it looks like the only teams losing less then the Lakers are Michigan and Michigan State. They may lose a blue chipper underclassman or two to the NHL, but probably not with the CBA looming next year.

The teams getting significantly younger look to be OSU, Notre Dame, and AF. Overall, it looks like a good year for the Lakers to move up to the middle of the pack in the CCHA.

GO LAKERS!!!

Mogerfan, with your impending marriage looming on the horizion, and all the maddness that is the Chicago area, how do you find time to look up all these stats?

I've seen your fiancee...

She's hot.
(really folks, I may get all kinds of young, college girls, but Moger's woman has it going on)

Do you look up stats to keep you occupied when she's back in Memphis?:D

Thanks again for the hospitality. You rule.

[sm3pk]

Its true the Lakers are losing 4 seniors but only 2 of them really played.

[Lakerblue]

Well, obviously MSU and UM are going to be tough, again. Otherwise, some of the top-five schools are going to be in significant rebuilding mode -- especially the Irish, OSU, Fairbanks, and Miami.


The Lakers are going to be particularly tough defensively. But I do not think we'll see any significant increase in scoring without a QB on the blueline. The Lakers need a defenseman who can:

1) who can keep the opposition forecheckers honest. A player who can make a good first pass out of the zone will help TONS because it will allow the forwards to attack with speed and force the forechecking players to peel off early;

2) who can shoot acurate hard shots from the point -- resulting in bigger rebounds and ergo more "garbage" goals (goals from the slot and/or the crease which require hard work and dedication but not, necessarily, world class skill);

3) who can dish the puck around the zone on the PP -- A better PP would take the pressure off 5x5 skill differences, especially in games against MSU and UM (I guess this is pretty obvious, though);

4) who can take the pressure off the other defensemen by simply getting the puck out of the zone cleanly -- either by carrying it (novel idea) or making the aforementioned sharp passes.

I suggest that a smooth defenseman would improve the overall play of our center icemen (Bill's longstanding and valid lament). I'm hoping the Lakers land a kid like this in the upcoming season, or in the near future. They're hard to come by, but Anzalone and Roque have a decent track record of finding diamonds in the rough.

[Mogerfan]

Originally posted by Bill
Speaking of CCHA Stats, once again there are no Lakers listed among the top 20 leading scorers at season's end, although we're getting closer. If we don't break out of that trend next season, I'll be very disappointed. I can't remember the last time the Lakers had anyone listed in the top 20-25 CCHA scorers at the end of a season. It was probably Borek's first or second year at Lake State when he still had some carryover recruits from Jeff Jackson.

The USCHO archives only went back as far as '98, and the only Laker listed among the leaders in that span is Tobin Praznik with 21 league points in the 98-99 season. He was tied for 26th in league scoring.

One of the pre season columns on the Inside College Hockey Website predicted that the Lakers would once again not have a 20 point getter this year. Unfortunately they were right. I was hoping Osman would get one more point that last weekend to prove them wrong.

[Bill]

Lakerblue,

I'm inclined to think that Derek Smith, the incoming d-man recruit, perhaps may be more of the QB type d-man that we have been looking for. At least his stats seem to imply that he might be more of a player along those lines. Anyone who has inside info from the coaching staff is free to chime in on whether this might be the case.

I'm heading to Boston tomorrow and looking forward to some good hockey at the Frozen Four. I would like to see UMD take it.

[NMU DOC]

I'm also backing UMD


What I care for most is that the Lakers are just at least one step better next year than they were this year.

And yeah, I'd like to see a big goon that can score.



Speaking of big goons that can score...

Mogerfan... you're being kinda quiet.

[Mogerfan]

Originally posted by NMU DOC


Speaking of big goons that can score...



Sandy Moger was not a goon. He just finished his checks.......
OK, so he dropped the gloves with Chris Tamer a couple times, but that goon speared Madely. :p

I am either a step ahead, or several steps behind here, but I came across the name of this recruit that the Lakers had apparently signed that I don't remember anyone speaking of. John Nogatch of the Northern Michigan Black Bears. Looks like a defenseman with size and some better than average offensive numbers. Here is the link, feel free to slap me if this is old news, or the guy decided not to come, or whatever.

http://www.blackbearsjrahockey.com/

I don't know much about the NOJHL really. That is the league Rainville and Restoule came out of, correct? Is that considered a lower tier than say the Ontario Provincial Hockey League where the (new) Derek Smith is coming from?

[jnacc]

Saw Nogatch play last Thursday against the T-birds. Was one of the better if not the best Dmen on the ice. Displayed good puck control, decent speed and played with a real physical edge.

The NOHL is also the same league that Barnabus Birkland came out of.

[NMU DOC]

The thread hit "Page Three" again and I thought that if we can't have the best hockey team, playing for a title tomorrow, we could at least be known for having the most persistant fans...

BTW, I watched the Denver-UMD game and thought that UMD reminded me of the 94 Lakers in that they were speedy and scored well.
IMO, the only place they were outplayed for the 1st half of the game was in the neutral zone.

They announcers kept going on about how great Junior was, and I ask... Could one great player elevate the laker team?



I'm mostly doing my part to keep this thread on the 1st page, so if I appear to be talking out of my rectal cavity, well... it ain't the first time.:D

[Mogerfan]

The link to the John Nogatch press release I put up before seems to have gone bad. Here's a link to his player profile page anyway.

http://www.blackbearsjrahockey.com/jn.htm


I looked through the Chiesenber site and didn't see any other recruits from the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. We plucked some great players out of the SJHL and AJHL back in the day when no one else was really bothering to look there.

[NMU DOC]

Are Moger and I the only laker fans in attendance?

Anyway...

Should LSSU get a cool third jersey?
I always thought that a black one would be cool for the lakers seeing as how they are the black sheep of the ccha now.

Discuss.

[Mogerfan]

Originally posted by NMU DOC
Are Moger and I the only laker fans in attendance?

Anyway...

Should LSSU get a cool third jersey?
I always thought that a black one would be cool for the lakers seeing as how they are the black sheep of the ccha now.

Discuss.

Didn't they wear those Throw Back yellow Soo Lakers jerseys for a few games a few years back. Man, those were awful.

Speaking of awful. Does anyone else remember when they wore those full length pants with their uniforms back in the mid 80s. Talk about UGLY!

Doc, apparently everyone else has, you know, actual jobs that prevent them from being on line as much as we are.

From what jnacc says, we might have a promising recruit in Nogatch. I found some references on the net to him signing with Sudbury of the OHL last year, but it must not have worked out or he wouldn't be elgible.

GO LAKERS!!!

[NMU DOC]

Originally posted by Mogerfan
Didn't they wear those Throw Back yellow Soo Lakers jerseys for a few games a few years back. Man, those were awful.

Speaking of awful. Does anyone else remember when they wore those full length pants with their uniforms back in the mid 80s. Talk about UGLY!

Doc, apparently everyone else has, you know, actual jobs that prevent them from being on line as much as we are.

From what jnacc says, we might have a promising recruit in Nogatch. I found some references on the net to him signing with Sudbury of the OHL last year, but it must not have worked out or he wouldn't be elgible.

GO LAKERS!!!

Yeah, they wore some old throwback jerseys from the Soo Tech days. Everyone hated 'em but in a way they were kind of cool.

Regular jobs are for those people who can't find a way to keep a death grip on inmaturity yet.

I do not have that problem.


Anyway. the Championship game rocked.

Way to go Denver. both teams were very good and the game was as entertaining as any I've seen... (excluding the '94 game of course:D )

[Mogerfan]

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

So do we have any idea what the schedule for next year will look like? 4 games a piece against Omaha, a rebuilding A-F, and an NMU team we proved we can play against are a good start to the schedule for an improving Laker team. Any word on non-conference play or Holiday tournaments from anyone in the know?

[Lakerpyro318]

I have seen that Bently comes up to the Soo and the end of October the Lakers play UM home then at the Joe. Other than that I haven't heard anything.

Also the Lakers wore a white jerey with Lakers in script on the front. I think it was at the GLI several years ago. But I thing a Black jersey would be cool.

On of the coaches had a recruit on campus a couple weeks ago. Dont know any names though.


GO LAKERS

[Bill]

I believe I heard Bill Crawford say on one of the broadcasts that the non-conference schedule would have some tough road games next season. I don't have any specifics since the official schedule hasn't been released yet.

The Cheisenber recruits site is normally maxed out by the time I get home from work, so I'm not sure of the actual dates, but the official Spring signing period should be about ready to begin, if it hasn't already. I would like to see the Lakers sign at least one more forward, preferably a Center with good speed and puck handling skills.

[Proud2baLaker]

I heard and who knows if its true we are at colgate and vs Alabama Huntsville for two of the non conference. I have also heard we will have UAF and UNO in our pairing with NMU. That means lots of travel. But with the UM and MSU games supposedly early in the year it could be interesting. I think they will struggle early with a few wins here and there and then pick it up in the second half. I wouldnt be surprised to see the Lakers take at least a point in most of the series next season

[Mogerfan]

It was cool to see Jim Dowd and Brian Rolston up against each other in a few key face-offs in the overtime of the Bruins-Habs game tonight. They both had pretty good games. Sure wish we could get a couple more guys like that at Lake State.......

[Bill]

Or a Clayton Beddoes, or Wayne Strachan, or Sean Tallaire.