Two-point weekend for LSSU Lakers
It was a successful weekend on the road for the Lake Superior State University Lakers even though they didn’t win a game.
Backed by the return-to-form netminding of sophomore goalie Gordon Defiel, the Lakers left Bowling Green with a pair of 1-1 ties versus the Falcons, who had entered the weekend as the no. 14 ranked team in the nation.
The two ties boosted the fortunes of the Lakers, who improved their overall record to 2-6-2 and 0-2-2 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
Defiel, a freshman sensation in 2014-2015 who had struggled earlier this 2015-2016 season for the Lakers, came up big in the back-to-back ties by stopping 70 of 72 shots.
Second-year Laker head coach Damon Whitten was full of praise for his charges — and singled out the play of Defiel.
“I thought we played like men,” Whitten told Lakers play-by-play announcer Bill Crawford after Saturday’s tie. “Really proud of the effort, up and down the lineup.
“(Bowling Green) is a tough place to play a hockey game and a tough team to play against. They’re a physical team and I thought we matched that,” continued Whitten. “Gordie Defiel had a heck of a weekend and it’s great to have him back playing the way we know he can.”
With the strong weekend between the pipes, Defiel now has a 1-4-2 record to go with a .900 save percentage and 3.21 goals against average.
The Lakers are home next Friday (7:37 p.m.) and Saturday (7:07 p.m.) against the Arizona State Sun Devils in a pair of matches at Taffy Abel Arena.
PHOTO: LSSU Lakers goalie Gordon Defiel, making one of the 70 saves he totaled in a pair of weekend ties at Bowling Green. (Photo by Todd Pavlack/BGSUHockey.com.)
I listened to the games on Radio and the way Bill called it Defeil made a bunch of great saves to protect both Ties especially on Friday. Coach Whitten has already improved the Program with so many top Freshmen and Sophomores and the Lakers need Gordie to be at the top of his game if they are going to move up in the Standings at all this season.
DAAAAAAAAY-FEEEEEEEL!!!!!
Coach Whittin has done a nice job with this group no doubt about it.
It will be nice to to watch this group move forward over the next 2 – 3 yrs.