Lakers Notebook
Tied for seventh in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association — but only one point behind sixth-place Bemidji State and two points back of fifth-place Northern Michigan with two games in hand on both — the Lake Superior State Lakers are in Alaska tonight and Saturday for road games against the Nanooks.
The Lakers have a record of 2-3-3 within the 10-team WCHA and are a point ahead of ninth-place Alaska with a pair of games in hand.
Both games at Alaska are slated to begin at 11:07 p.m. (our time) and will be broadcast live on Sault Ste. Marie radio station 99.5 YES-FM.
The Lakers have an overall record of 4-9-3 through 16 games this season.
TOP FRESHMAN
The Lakers are in Alaska fresh from a 3-2 come-from-behind win at home against Ferris State last Saturday.
In that Laker victory, freshman defenseman Owen Headrick — formerly of the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League — scored the game-winning goal late in the third period.
Headrick has 3 goals, 2 assists in 16 games and among freshmen defensemen in the WCHA, is tied for the lead with 5 points.
With a 1997 birth date, Headrick, who hails from Garden River First Nation, is the youngest player on the Lakers.
TOP GOALIE
Lakers sophomore goalie Gordon Defiel is coming off an impressive month of November between the pipes for Lake Superior State.
In November, Defiel posted a WCHA-best .956 save percentage and 1.52 goals against average.
HOME TO TECH
Following the two games at Alaska tonight and Saturday, the Lakers will cap the first half of the WCHA schedule with a home series against Michigan Tech on the December 11-12 weekend.
Former Laker goalie and assistant coach Joe Shawhan is in his second season as an assistant at Michigan Tech. A Michigan Soo product, coaching veteran Shawhan has also been an assistant at Northern Michigan.
PHOTO: Laker defenseman Owen Headrick has been making a mark among WCHA freshmen thus far this season. (Photo by Ali Pearson.)