LSSU Lakers

[gfmorris]

Anyone that was there on Friday: the list of UAH players in the post-game scrum was: Ross, Mulherin, Bushey [linemates], Schreiber [D], and ... Canter. Now, Steve's a forward, so he wouldn't have been changing or anything. Did he come off the bench during the fight?

Hope things turn around better for you guys. Looks like our boys caught you flat-footed. We have that pesky habit ... just ask Ferris. ;)

GFM

[michiganmidge]

How does he expect to win when he benches all but 13 players, including the 2 goaltenders for the third period against UAH. Mind you, this list of the benched includes the aforementioned Scoran, along with Rainville, Campbell, Derek A. Smith, Restoule, along with others. That is not the way to motivate a team, that is a way to lose them. You can sense he is feeling sorry for himself, and that he just doesnt care. The players look frustrated, and ready to walk out on him, and quite frankly, I wouldnt blame them.
Oh geez. Sounds like a prima donna attitude there, Goose.

It's a coach's perogative to bench any player he feels isn't performing, has a bad attitude, etc., and in this case to send a strong message to those players. And I say ... way to go Coach Anzalone, MORE POWER TO YOU! When a team plays like crap (read: This past weekend), I think this type of tactic is well-suited ... especially in non-conference play. If a player wants to "quit" because he was benched ... then he's a wimp, plain and simple. I say suck-it-up ... if you wanna play with the big boys you gotta listen to your coach. The end.

[sm3pk]

I sure as heck hope Frank knew what he was doing this weekend because even the second period guest made the statement that the game plan is not working and why Frank is sticking to it when it is so obvious that its not a good plan was also beyond him.Could be the coach was making a statement and noway better then go forward with what he had to do.

[Mogerfan]

I sure as heck hope Frank knew what he was doing this weekend because even the second period guest made the statement that the game plan is not working and why Frank is sticking to it when it is so obvious that its not a good plan was also beyond him.

Wasn't the second period guest James Lambros? Good guy, but I don't think he played hockey above the Soo High level. I wouldn't put his hockey knowledge TOO much above any of the people on this board. I could be wrong, but I think that is who it was.

[Bill]

I don't generally make predictions, but if between having several players benched for the 3rd period last night and all that they'll be going through in practice this coming week, I say that if the Lakers don't respond with at least one win next weekend at MSU, then they won't get home ice for the 1st round of the CCHA playoffs. It's gut check time to see what they're made of.

[sm3pk]

Anyone going this weekend to State?

[FRICKER]

Mogerfan.......your comment about an "emotional win over ND", a team 20 points out of first place, speaks volumes!!!

Losing 3-0 in your barn against a team you should at east be competitive with
musta been why Frank sortened the bench and prematurely pulled the tender. There are only so many things a coach can do to motivate his team, and at least Frank was tryin'.

Isn't it about time Frank brings in the level of skill players that will revive the program? How many years does he have to try to re-capture the "lightning in a bottleof the glory years. The program has taken baby steps since his return and isn't it about time for a quantum leap? Maybe he's waiting for on of Brian olostons sons to come of age, eh?

[michiganmidge]

Wasn't the second period guest James Lambros? Good guy, but I don't think he played hockey above the Soo High level. I wouldn't put his hockey knowledge TOO much above any of the people on this board. I could be wrong, but I think that is who it was.
James Lambros played at Michigan State in the early 90's.

[sm3pk]

I think it is very hard to revive a small college program that took a beating after Jackson left and then when you come in you have to get rid of half the team just to be able to start going forward again.But at the same time,I dont think the Lakers are that far away from being back in the top bracket again either.The lack of the big jump seems to be 2-3 players away in the form of getting the ability to score some goals and that will happen.At one point the team was probably 10-12 players away and then 6-8 and now its just getting a couple stick handlers to join the program and then you will see Lake State taking that big jump again.

[Mogerfan]

James Lambros played at Michigan State in the early 90's.

did he? I didn't realize that.

[sm3pk]

Yea,he played at MI State.Even if he didnt , it doesnt take a genius to know if you are playing against speed that you have to somehow try and take it away,not try and skate with it when you dont have it.

[jnacc]

Highly sought after recruits who can step in and make an immediate impact, as freshmen are no longer in reach for teams like the Lakers. Such players now belong to the exclusive domain of the Michigans and NoDaks. Lets face it; there are only a handful of NCAA teams (I'll wager less than 10) who can consistently land top end talent year after year. The other 48 to 50 teams can only hope to land players that have the chance to step in and play most games as a freshman and hopefully develop into leaders and goal getters by their junior and senior years.

It is unrealistic to expect the Lakers to go out and recruit that game breaker for next year.

[Mogerfan]

Isn't it about time Frank brings in the level of skill players that will revive the program? How many years does he have to try to re-capture the "lightning in a bottleof the glory years. The program has taken baby steps since his return and isn't it about time for a quantum leap? Maybe he's waiting for on of Brian olostons sons to come of age, eh?

If Frank could drive down to Detroit and sign a couple of the guys off the USNDP team I am sure he would do that. But those guys don't want to go to Lake State. They want to go to UM, MSU or maybe even OSU. Heck, Frank even has to compete with OHL teams these days which was less of a problem in the 80s and 90s. There is too much competition for these high end players and they will not start coming back to Lake State until we are winning consistently again.

Baby steps are good as long as they are all in the right direction.

We will have to do the best we can with the recruits we can get for the time being. This Schwabe guy coming in next year is netting 1.8 points per game in the SJHL, so maybe he can put the puck in the net for us. Of course Campbell was a 1.5 point per game guy in that league and he hasn't exactly solved all our problems.

[Mogerfan]

Yea,he played at MI State.Even if he didnt , it doesnt take a genius to know if you are playing against speed that you have to somehow try and take it away,not try and skate with it when you dont have it.

yeah, now that I think about it, it was his brother Jon I went to Soo High with, not James. Still though, it was a non-conference game, and if Frank wanted to try something different, then maybe he was looking for something specific.

[LakerFan24]

Just out of curiousity, does anyone know what the status of Franks contract is? I know he had a three year deal, and that was up at the end of last season - so did they sign him for another year, or is he just working without a contract, or what? Not saying anything for or against the coach, I'm just wondering...

Lets hope the boys get their poop in a group and get a few points this weekend! I am heading to Lansing for the Saturday night game, so I am hopeing that they can turn around the Saturday Slump they have been experiencing all year.

GO LAKERS! Take down Sparta!

[FRICKER]

Mogerfan......sounds like the ultimate catch twenty-two......can't get the skilled players to commit without winning and can't win with the "grinders" that can't put the puck in the net to win.

If they don't try to land a "game breaker", they never will, and they can baby step themselves until Frank retires of old age.

[Mogerfan]

If they don't try to land a "game breaker", they never will, and they can baby step themselves until Frank retires of old age.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they shouldn't TRY to land a game breaker. I'm saying it is just not going to happen. I would be the first guy dancing in the street if Phil Kessel decided to come here, but he is not going to. We need to slowly build up the program playing good D and trying to land a diamond in the rough recruit that will develop into a four year star college player. We have a chance of landing another Jim Dowd or Sandy Moger who can develop into huge stars. We can't recruit another Doug Weight or Brian Rolston at this point in the rebuilding process. Guys like that just have no reason to come here.

Our non conference record is really embarrasing, but overall there has been some good progress this year. I agree with everyone that the upcoming road trip is HUGE. I am sure we all remember that ugly winter road trip last year where we lost 7 straight CCHA contests.

[sm3pk]

I dont think it is getting a kessel or weight or rolston. Its just getting decent guys who can handle the puck and put pressure on the offensive zone.Those guys are out there but so many stay in the jumior ranks and dont go the way of college hockey but that doesnt mean we cant get them,we will. As for Anzalone..This is his fourth season and the first two were upheavels with guys quitting and having to recruit faster then he wanted and so in reality,its just been last year and this one that we have seen improvement and they are getting better.If Frank can bring in a couple offensive players next year,you will see an even bigger jump up in the standings.The goaltending is there,the defense is getting better and now its time to move offensively and trust me....Anzalone knows that.

[Mogerfan]

I dont think it is getting a kessel or weight or rolston. Its just getting decent guys who can handle the puck and put pressure on the offensive zone.Those guys are out there but so many stay in the jumior ranks and dont go the way of college hockey but that doesnt mean we cant get them,we will. As for Anzalone..This is his fourth season and the first two were upheavels with guys quitting and having to recruit faster then he wanted and so in reality,its just been last year and this one that we have seen improvement and they are getting better.If Frank can bring in a couple offensive players next year,you will see an even bigger jump up in the standings.The goaltending is there,the defense is getting better and now its time to move offensively and trust me....Anzalone knows that.

EXACTLY

[LakeStateGoose13]

Oh geez. Sounds like a prima donna attitude there, Goose.

It's a coach's perogative to bench any player he feels isn't performing, has a bad attitude, etc., and in this case to send a strong message to those players. And I say ... way to go Coach Anzalone, MORE POWER TO YOU! When a team plays like crap (read: This past weekend), I think this type of tactic is well-suited ... especially in non-conference play. If a player wants to "quit" because he was benched ... then he's a wimp, plain and simple. I say suck-it-up ... if you wanna play with the big boys you gotta listen to your coach. The end.

You want to play with the big boys, then you also need to be able to recruit, and retain players. Allow me to list some names of players who have either gone somewhere else and have become important parts of other teams, or players from this area who Frank didn't recruit. the brothers Nightingale (MSU), Contois, (NMU), Mushaluk (Maine), along with goaltender Ryan Miller who is a Sault product, not to mention two former Soo Indians who chose Ferris State over Lake Superior, and two Soo Indians who chose NMU over LSSU (Milam, Zaniboni). Someone explain to me the logic behind weeding out these talented players, having to go all the way to the SJHL to recruit because you cannot get many players from your own backyard, and how this is considered successful recruiting??

Also, you are right, listening to your coach is important without a doubt. But having to listen to a coach who chews you out on the bench with language that would make a Yost attendee blush (you dont think that keeps some people away from games) game after game after game after.....that starts to wear thin with most people. Coaching kinda has the same rule as tightening a screw, tight is tight, too tight is broken.