Lakers pick up second sweep of the season

NEWS RELEASE

LAKE SUPERIOR STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

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Lakers complete series sweep against Warriors

Schwab tallies game-winner

SAULT STE. MARIE - After splitting the last two league series, the Lake Superior State hockey team defeated Wayne State 4-2 Saturday to secure its second non-conference sweep of the season.

In the first period, Laker Nathan Perkovich pushed his own rebound past WSU netminder Brett Bothwell for a power-play goal at 8:26.

Wayne State tied it 1-1 at 19:30. Jeff Caister's long pass from the Warrior's zone gave Jared Katz the chance to set up Derek Bachynski, who shoveled the puck just inside the crossbar.

Dominic Osman kicked the puck out of a fray at the boards, allowing Trent Campbell to dump it to teammate Nik Sellers. Sellers skated hard from the middle of the zone to put it by Bothwell for a 2-1 LSSU lead at 3:05 of the second period.

Wayne State evened the score in the third period when former Soo Indian Derek Punches' passed from the blue line, setting up a shot by Taylor Donohoe. LSSU goalie Pat Inglis blocked the initial shot, but Nate Higgins scored on the deflection at 5:07.

Perkovich helped the Lakers score the game-winner when he bee-lined a pass from behind the net to Troy Schwab, who netted it from just outside the crease at 17:17. Marty Gurnoe also drew an assist on the goal.

The Warriors pulled Bothwell at 19:08 to gain an extra attacker. Wayne kept the puck near LSSU's goal for almost 40 seconds. Inglis cleared the puck from the crease to the blue line where Schwab picked it up and fed to Campbell, who scored on the empty net with nine seconds left in the game. Lake Superior State improved to 8-4-0 overall, while Wayne State dropped to 2-9-0 overall.

Inglis made 19 saves in the Laker victory. Bothwell finished with 22 saves as LSSU out-shot the Warriors, 26-21. LSSU finished 1-for-7 on the power play, while WSU was 0-for-4.

Next week the Lakers will go to Alaska to face off against the Nanooks at Carlson Center.

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Jakaitis ties LSSU's career shutout record

Lakers blank Warriors 3-0

SAULT STE. MARIE - Senior goaltender Jeff Jakaitis tied Lake Superior State's career shutout record by stopping all 22 shots in the Lakers' 3-0 non-conference hockey victory over Wayne State on Friday at Taffy Abel Arena.

Jakaitis (5-3-0) notched his second shutout of the season and the ninth of his career, tying the record held by Blaine Lacher, who played at LSSU from 1991-94. Lacher also holds the school and national records for consecutive shutout minutes with 375:01. Jakaitis, meanwhile, is on track to become LSSU's all-time leader in save percentage.

The Lakers (7-4-0) sealed the win by scoring two short-handed goals in a 1:14 span during the same second-period Wayne State power play. Trent Campbell scored the first short-handed goal at 10:14, giving Lake State a 2-0 lead. Derek A. Smith scored his first goal of the year and the second short-handed goal of the game at 11:28. Josh Sim drew the assist on Campbell's goal, while Smith's was assisted by Jeff Rainville.

Smith entered the game ranked fifth in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association in assists by defensemen with nine, but had two goals taken away from him in last week's victory over Miami when replays showed his shots were tipped. He finally gets credit for a goal this season.

Nathan Perkovich tallied LSSU's first goal at 4:43 of the second period. Barnabas Birkeland had the assist.

LSSU finished 0-for-8 on the power play, while Wayne State was 0-for-6. The Lakers out-shot Wayne State, 29-22. The Warriors dropped to 2-8-0 overall. WSU goaltender Will Hooper (0-6-0) totaled 26 saves.

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