How sweep it is
Having swept the visiting Bemidji State University Beavers on the weekend — the first such perfection under first-year head coach Damon Whitten — the Lake Superior State University Lakers have moved into Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoff contention.
Backed by the goaltending of unheralded freshman Gordon Defiel, the 10th-seeded Lakers upended Bemidji State 1-0 and 4-2 to move to within two points of the eighth-and-final playoff spot in the 10-team WCHA.
Indeed, with a record of 5-13-0, the Lakers are only six points removed from fifth-place in the hotly-contested WCHA.
As Whitten begins to wash away the stains of futility left by the previous coaching staff, Defiel has been a saviour between the pipes — with the most saves of any Division 1 goalie in the United States of America this season.
Against Bemidji, Defiel made 44 saves in the 1-0 shutout and added 32 more in the 4-2 triumph.
Meanwhile, freshman forward Luke Sandler continued to make the most of his ice time with a pair of goals in the 4-2 win.
Sandler has played in only 11 games this season and now has three goals.
PHOTO: Laker forward Luke Sandler, in scoring position against Bemidji State on the weekend. (Photo by John Shibley.)
The overall team defense has gotten better as the season progresses, in particular the play of the freshmen d-men. And Alex Globke has started scoring some goals, which also is a big boost.