Lakers fall in Badger Showdown championship

NEWS RELEASES

LAKE SUPERIOR STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

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Lakers fall to Clarkson in Badger Showdown championship game

Sim and Birkeland are named to the all-tournament team

MADISON, Wis. - The nation's top-ranked power-play team scored two goals with the man advantage to beat 18th-ranked Lake Superior State 3-2 in the championship game of the 18th annual Badger Showdown.

No. 15 Clarkson (13-5-1) extended its winning streak to seven games with the win. The Golden Knights also improved to 2-1 this season against the Lakers (12-6-2). LSSU and Clarkson split a non-conference series in Potsdam, N.Y., in October.

The loss snapped the Lakers' five-game unbeaten streak.

Clarkson entered the game with a nation-best 25.4 percent success rate on the power play. Shawn Weller and Nick Dodge scored power-play goals at 17:26 of the first period and :59 of the second period, respectively, to give the Golden Knights a 2-0 lead. LSSU came back to tie it, 2-2, but Shawn Guthrie tallied the game-winner at 14:34 of the third period.

Clarkson was 2-for-4 on the power play, while LSSU finished 0-for-5. Dodge, who was named the tournament's most-valuable player, had a goal and an assist in the game, and finished 4-2--6 for the weekend.

LSSU sophomore Josh Sim was almost as hot, scoring both Laker goals against Clarkson and finishing with two goals and two assists for the weekend. The Lakers earned the runner-up trophy for the second time in as many Badger Showdown appearances. They placed second to host Wisconsin in 1994.

Sim and Laker senior defenseman Barnabas Birkeland were named to the all-tournament team along with Dodge, Wisconsin's Jake Dowell and Clarkson's Tyrell Mason and David Leggio.

Sim's first goal was a short-handed marker at 2:59 of the second period that trimmed Clarkson's lead to 2-1. Troy Schwab and Birkeland drew assists.

Sim scored his second goal at 10:35 of the third period on assists from Trent Campbell and Steven Kaunisto.

LSSU goaltender Jeff Jakaitis totaled 25 saves, while Clarkson netminder David Leggio finished with 27 saves.

LSSU resumes Central Collegiate Hockey Association action at home Jan. 5-6 when the Lakers play host to Nebraska-Omaha.

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Lakers beat Providence for the first time in school history

Hockey team advances to Badger Showdown finals

MADISON, Wis. - Led by the "Saskatchewan Line" of Troy Schwab, Josh Sim and Trent Campbell, the Lake Superior State hockey team defeated Providence for the first time in school history and advanced to the championship game of the 18th annual Badger Showdown.

The 18th-ranked Lakers (12-5-2) scored early in the first two periods and held on to beat Providence 2-1 on Friday night at the Kohl Center.

Clarkson defeated host Wisconsin 6-2 in the other semifinal on Friday. Clarkson and LSSU will play in the championship game at 5:07 p.m. EST, and U-W and Providence will meet in the consolation game at 8:07 p.m. EST.

LSSU is playing in the Badger Showdown for the second time. The Lakers lost 6-4 to Wisconsin in the championship game of the 1994 tournament.

The Lakers improved their all-time record against Providence to 1-5-0. They split a non-conference series at Clarkson in October.

Sim assisted on both Laker goals against the Friars (4-12-1). Defenseman Barnabas Birkeland scored LSSU's first goal at 5:29 of the first period on the Lakers' second shot on goal of the game. Fellow defenseman Ryan Baird drew the other assist.

Schwab tallied what proved to be the game-winner at 1:26 of the second period, giving the Lakers a 2-0 lead. Campbell had the other assist on the even-strength goal.

LSSU also threatened early in the third period, but failed to beat Providence goaltender Tyler Sims, who finished with 28 saves. Matt Taormina spoiled Laker goaltender Jeff Jakaitis' shutout by scoring with 4:26 remaining in the game.

Providence pulled Sims in favor of an extra attacker with 1:14 to go, but Jakaitis held his ground. The Central Collegiate Hockey Association's top netminder finished with 37 saves.

LSSU was 0-for-1 on the power play, while Providence finished 0-for-2.

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