Laker underclassmen lead the way
They have two games to play in the 2015-2016 regular season — both on the road this weekend — and the youthful Lake Superior State Lakers have secured a playoff spot and assured themselves of at least seventh place in the 10-team Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
Playing at home last weekend, the Lakers upended fourth-place Northern Michigan 3-1 and then held the Wildcats to a 2-2 tie to confirm their playoff status.
The three points boosted the Lakers WCHA record to 9-12-5 with two games to play in the regular season — at Ferris State against the fifth-place Bulldogs on Friday and Saturday evenings. Both games can be heard on radio station 99.5 Yes-FM with Bill Crawford calling the play-by-play.
The Lakers are two points back of sixth-place Bemidji State Beavers.
All 10 WCHA teams have two games to play in the regular season.
Underclassmen have played a major role for second-year head coach Damon Whitten and the Lakers over the course of the 2015-2016 season.
Of the Lakers top seven scorers, five are freshmen, including 1997 birth-year defenseman Owen Headrick.
Headrick, who is from Garden River First Nation, starred with the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League for two seasons prior to heading to Lake Superior State last fall.
Of note, Headrick is the youngest player in the entire WCHA.
Heading into play this weekend, sophomore forward J.T. Henke leads the Lakers in scoring with 9 goals, 9 assists, 18 points.
Following Henke are freshman forward Gage Torrel at 8-10-18, freshman forward Mitch Hults at 7-9-16, freshman forward Anthony Nellis at 3-11-14, junior forward Gus Correale at 5-8-13, Headrick at 4-7-11 and freshman forward Diego Cuglietta at 5-5-10.
Meantime, sophomore goalie Gordon Defiel has been the main man between the pipes for the Lakers and has a 9-11-4 record to go with a 2.48 goals against average and .921 save percentage. Defiel has kept the low-scoring Lakers in a number of games this season in which they have scored one goal or less.
Of note, prior to going to Lake Superior State, the American-born Defiel prepped within the Canadian Jr. Hockey League, playing in both the Superior International Jr. Hockey League and the British Columbia Hockey League.
As the Lakers are 9-12-5 in the WCHA, they have an overall record of 12-19-5 in 34 games thus far this season.
With a playoff spot tucked away and a chance to possibly finish in sixth spot, the Lakers are part of a tight, highly-competitive WCHA.
Going into the final weekend of the regular season, Minnesota State Mavericks are in first place with 37 points, just two points up on both the Bowling Green Falcons and Michigan Tech Huskies.
And while Northern Michigan is in fourth place with 29 points, the Wildcats are just a point up on fifth-place Ferris State.
PHOTO: Sophomore goalie Gordon Defiel, in action earlier this season against the Bowling Green Falcons, has been a standout between the pipes for the Lake Superior State Lakers.