LSSU Lakers

[Bill]

You should expect a disciplined team that takes few penalties, a decent defense, good goaltending, but not a lot of offense. It's good that they don't take many penalties because their penalty kill isn't very good, although that's an area I expect they will try to work hard on this coming season. It's tough for the Lakers to win unless they hold the opposition to 2 goals or less (and not infrequently, even one or less). They don't have any offensive stars, although their players are gaining more experience so perhaps someone(s) will have a breakout year this coming season. They will be a team made up of largely Juniors and Sophomores, with a few Freshmen and Seniors mixed in. They are in the middle of a slow but steady rebuilding program. Until they can generate more offense, they will remain in the lower to middle echelons of the CCHA.

[elduke]

the lakers will never be in the top half, with frank at the helm, nobody in their right mind would play for a person like him today, its borderline abuse

[sm3pk]

Its funny how nobody would want to play for frank but yet every player there from last season is still there and Fauci said the reason he wanted to play for Frank is because of his reputation of making players the best they ever will be.I think as the players slowly begin to improve and get more wins ,you will see better and better players coming in.If you think all the other coaches in college hockey are just a bunch of sweethearts and nice guys and dont rule the teams they coach with hard work and an iron hand,you are sadly mistaken. We had a coach who was a nice guy and didnt run a tight ship and all that happen was an out of shape team with no discipline and no rules and no game plan.I think most players understand hard work,discipline,and a coach who wants to make the players the best they will be.Lets give the young guys some credit and realize they do want a discipline team.Whats the old saying about Scotty Bowman? You hated him 364 days a year but loved him the one day you got that Stanley Cup win.

[thepuck57]

LAKERS SIGNED A NEW FORWARD TO REPLACE KRIS KASPER, I JUST READ THE ARTICLE ON THE LAKER WEBSITE. :D

[Bill]

As a hard worker who likes to work the corners, he'll fit right in with the Lakers. But what they really need to happen is to have some guys start putting the puck in the net when the guys working the boards get the puck out to them.

[sm3pk]

Sounds like a Laker type player to me this new guy .

[jnacc]

His stats seem pretty decent, considering he was the second leading scorer on the best Junior A team in Canada but then again he was a 20 year old player. I wonder how he did as a 17 or 18 year old and why was he not recruited by other teams?

At least he has size and comes from an excellent program use to winning. As a matter of fact, many have said that this Aurora Tiger's team was one of the best Junior A squads assembled in a very long time and could have given even OHL teams a run for their money.

[sshablak]

It seems you giys are kind of down on the coach. I forgot who the coach was in the Dowd-Weight years. I still remember being treated very well in Albany by the Laker fans! Hope you guys get it going this year(after the Colgate games of course).

[jnacc]

There may be a couple of posters here who are down on Anzolone and pine for the glory days of Borek (you know that golden age where we went from the best in the nation to the worst) but most of us fully support Anzalone and the job he is doing.

Unfortunatly many fans in the Soo have given up on the Lakers, as evident by their continuous decline in attendance, due in no small part to high expectations. I remember most fans saying after Anzalone was hired that we would back in the NCAA tourney within the year. They did not realize how far the program had fallen nor the changes that had occured in college hockey from the time Jackson was leaving to Anzalone being re-hired.

It is much harder to build a winning program today than it was in the early to mid 1980's. I think though that Anzalone is slowly making the program competitive once again and the fruits of that labor will hopefuly become evident this season.

I don't know if we ever will become the dominant team we once were, no matter who is coaching the Lakers. Northern Michigan's rise is giving me hope, however. If a school that is as isolated (if not more) as LSSU can attract such quality recruits, then it stands to reason that we can as well.

We shall see.

[sshablak]

What do you think was the main reason for the decline?

[thepuck57]

#1COACHING. SOME HAD A BETTER EYE FOR TALENT, AND IT'S HARD TO GET GREAT PLAYERS TO COME TO A SINKING TEAM. BUT THIS IS OLD NEWS.

[Bill]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by sshablak
What do you think was the main reason for the decline? [/QUOTE

Jeff Jackson left, and Scott Borek took over.]

[jnacc]

Originally posted by Bill
[QUOTE]Originally posted by sshablak
What do you think was the main reason for the decline? [/QUOTE

Jeff Jackson left, and Scott Borek took over.]

That pretty well much sums it up, although changes began to occur that made it difficult for LSSU to recruit the type of players it once did.

First off the OHL expanded, sucking alot of players into its league that would have played college hockey. You then had the NCAA expand, meaning more teams chasing the same talent in the same pond. Lastly, you began to see teams that really did not put much stock into their programs all of sudden throw a ton of money and resources into hockey; prime example Ohio State.

[michiganmidge]

Originally posted by sshablak
What do you think was the main reason for the decline?
Two words ... Scott Borek.

[sshablak]

Who is Scott Borek?

[jnacc]

He was the Laker head coach trough the 96-97 to the 2000-01 seasons.

When he took over the program, the Lakers had been to the CCHA final four tournament 10 straight years, had won a national championship in 94, and was a NCAA quarter-finalist in 96. The drop was almost immediate, we missed the CCHA tourney for the first time and have not been back since.

[Mogerfan]

Yes, I realize that there is an Alum section that this post should be in, but it is summer and we are conversation starved anyway.....

http://www.wild.com/games/009/343/

Looks like Brian is headed to Minnesota. That kind of suprises me. He seems like a speedy guy that would be more productive on a more open team. I guess he is a pretty good two way player though, and Lemaire has coached him before so he must have a plan.

[Laker Hockey]

Originally posted by jnacc
The drop was almost immediate, we missed the CCHA tourney for the first time and have not been back since.

Not True, LSSU has only missed the CCHA playoffs once in the past 20 years that was in 2000-01. Team was decimated by injuries, and the backups that Borek had were terrible. That spring he was fired, and the savior was brought in.

[Bill]

Originally posted by Laker Hockey
Not True, LSSU has only missed the CCHA playoffs once in the past 20 years that was in 2000-01. Team was decimated by injuries, and the backups that Borek had were terrible. That spring he was fired, and the savior was brought in.

jnaac is referring to the CCHA Tourney in Detroit, not the CCHA playoffs.

If memory serves me correctly, the Lakers did not win a single CCHA playoff game during the Borek years, either home or away.

[jnacc]

Originally posted by Bill
jnaac is referring to the CCHA Tourney in Detroit, not the CCHA playoffs.

If memory serves me correctly, the Lakers did not win a single CCHA playoff game during the Borek years, either home or away.

Yes that is exactly what I was refering to. Prior to Borek coming on, the Lakers had made it to the Joe for 10 straight years. That streak ended during his first season behind the bench. I think your memory is correct, they never won a playoff game under Borek. The most disappointing series was against Bowling Gree in 2000. They finished third in the CCHA that year but came out flat and uninspired against the Falcons. Borek should have been let go right then and there.