Lakers ready for holiday week action

NEWS RELEASE

LAKE SUPERIOR STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

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Laker teams to compete during holiday week

SAULT STE. MARIE – The 18th-ranked Lake Superior State hockey team, 17th-ranked LSSU women’s basketball team and the Laker men’s basketball team will all be in action this week, with the women’s squad being the only LSSU team to play at home.

The Laker women (8-2) will try to improve to 6-0 against Great Lakes Valley Conference opponents when it plays host to Indianapolis (6-3) at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Bud Cooper Gymnasium. The game will be broadcast live on WSOO 1230 AM and simulcast on www.lssulakers.com.

LSSU made a strong showing at last week’s Ferris State Holiday Classic after suffering an overtime loss at home against the Bulldogs on Dec. 16. Mandi Johnson led the Lakers, totaling 21 points, four rebounds, six assists and six steals in a 68-54 victory over Lewis and 20 points, six rebounds, four assists and five steals in a 77-64 win over SIU-Edwardsville. Lewis and SIUE are both GLVC opponents.

Indianapolis is 1-2 in the GLVC, but 4-1 against GLIAC competition. The Greyhounds beat GLIAC opponents Wayne State, Ashland, Gannon and Hillsdale, but lost to Findlay, 77-72, on Dec. 20.

The LSSU men’s basketball team (1-8) plays Quincy (6-3) at 6 p.m. on Thursday in the first round of the Porreco Cup held in Erie, Pa. Host Gannon (5-5) and Daemen (10-5) will play the second-round game at 8 p.m. The consolation game will be at 6 p.m. on Friday, and the championship game will follow.

The Laker hockey team (10-6-4), which ended the first half of its Central Collegiate Hockey Association schedule in third place and has surpassed its win totals of 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05, travels to Thunder Bay, Ont., for the TBAYtel Varsity Cup hosted by Lakehead University.

The Lakers play former ICHA rival Lakehead (12-7-2) at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. They play 4 p.m. games against Calgary (11-10-1) and St. Francis Xavier (11-10-0) on Thursday and Friday, respectively. The championship game will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

All of the Lakers’ hockey games will be broadcast live on Rock 101 FM and simulcast on www.lssulakers.com. Video webcast of all seven games of the tournament are also available for $7.95 per game or $26.95 for the tournament package by going to http://www.news-cast.com/events/index.html.

LSSU has an all-time record of 23-6-2 against Lakehead. The Lakers are playing St. Francis-Xavier and Calgary for the first time in school history. The Lakers’ Varsity Cup games will be exhibition contests and will not count in the 2005-06 standings.

LSSU and Lakehead have had one common opponent in 2005-06. Lakehead swept York 6-1 and 5-3 on Nov. 11-12. LSSU opened the season with a 5-1 exhibition victory over York.

Last season, Lakehead lost to New Brunswick in the Varsity Cup final. Calgary, which owns eight Canada West titles, is playing in its third Varsity Cup. St. Francis Xavier, which won the 2004 Canadian Universities national title, has made one appearance -- in 2002.

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