University of St. Thomas Athletics
Lake Superior State
Game Notes: Men's Hockey visits Lake Superior for pair
2/16/2023 1:19:00 PM | Men's Hockey
St. Paul, Minn. - St. Thomas Men's Hockey (9-19-2, 8-12-2 CCHA) travels to Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. this weekend to face off with conference foe Lake Superior State (6-22-2, 5-16-1). Puck drop is 6:07 p.m. CT on Friday, and 5:07 p.m. CT on Saturday.
Last weekend, the Purple split on home ice with Northern Michigan, falling 3-0 on Friday, but rebounding for a 4-2 win on Saturday. Forward Josh Eernisse scored late in both the first and second periods to put St. Thomas up 2-0, but Northern Michigan responded and tied the game with just under 10 minutes remaining. However, Ryan O'Neill put the Toms up 3-2 with 2:04 left, and Mack Byers sealed the victory with an empty-net goal just before the final horn.
Lake Superior State was idle last week, but also split a series with Northern Michigan, back on Feb. 3 and Feb. 4. The Lakers scored three unanswered goals in the third period to take the first meeting 4-2, but dropped the second game 3-1.
While the Lakers have struggled in 2022-23, they are coming off of two consecutive (and three of the last four) seasons with a winning percentage at or above .500. Head coach Damon Whitten also led the Lakers to the NCAA Tournament in the 2020-21 season, their first appearance since 1995-96.
The Toms and Lakers have squared off six times in St. Thomas' D-I era prior to this series, with each team winning three of those. The Purple have won three of the last four meetings, but are 0-2 in Sault Ste. Marie, falling 3-1 and 6-3 in October 2021.
Live video stream can be accessed here:
https://www.flohockey.tv/teams/6970889-lake-superior-state-mens-hockey?coverage_id=&coverage_id=&view=live-and-upcoming&utm_campaign=ccha&utm_medium=partner&utm_source=teams&utm_content=teams&utm_term=lakesuperiorstate&rtid=
Friday-Saturday Live stats can be accessed here:
https://lssulakers.com/sports/m-hockey/2022-23/boxscores/20230217_ci8s.xml
Live audio can be accessed at SkorNorth AM 1500 listen live.
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Most Improved D-I Men's Hockey Teams -- From 2021-22 to 2022-23
(60 D-I programs -- Through games of Feb. 11)
Based on Winning Percentage
+.236 St. Thomas (3-32-1 in 2021-22 to 9-19-2 in 2022-23)
+.203 Niagara (11-22-3 to 15-12-3)
+.190 Penn State (17-20-1 to 19-10-1)
+.153 Michigan State (12-23-1 to 15-15-2)
+.150 Princeton (8-21-2 to 11-14-0)
+.138 St. Cloud State (18-15-4 to 18-8-2)
Close Calls
As part of its D-I learning curve, the Purple have 23 losses by one or two goals so far in the D-I era (12 so far this season). That includes a 5-11 mark in one-goal decisions, and a 2-12 slate in games decided by two goals.
Did You Know?
- St. Thomas has scored points in seven consecutive CCHA series. Picked for eighth place, the Toms are in seventh place with four games to play.
- Mack Byers has scored 11 goals over his last 12 CCHA contests... Luc Laylin has six goals in his last nine games.
- With four games left in the regular season, the Toms have already surpassed last season's total of 61 goals (now at 74). Mack Byers (15 goals), Josh Eernisse (14 goals), and Luc Laylin (nine goals) have broken the old Toms' D-I record for goals in a season set last year with eight by Luke Manning.
- Ten of the Toms' losses have come vs. top-10 ranked Penn State and St. Cloud State and top-20 ranked Minnesota State and Michigan Tech
- This season, 12 Tommie defeats have come by one or two goals. The Purple have led or been tied in the third period in 10 of their losses.
- Last season (36 games), the Toms were outscored 167-61. In this season's 30 games the Purple have been outscored by a 100-74 margin.
- Four freshmen -- Cooper Gay, Josh Eernisse, Carson Peters and Luc Laylin -- have joined a growing list of Toms to record a multi-goal game this season. Gay did it on Nov. 4 against Minnesota State. Eernisse's did it Nov. 25 against Lake Superior State; again Dec. 16 vs. Ferris; once more on Jan. 14 at Michigan Tech; and again on Feb.11 against Northern Michigan; Peters did it Jan. 14 against Michigan Tech; Laylin did it Feb. 3 vs. Minnesota State. Also on that list is junior Mack Byers, who has five such instances this season (Oct. 29 against Ferris State; Dec. 1 and again Dec. 2 against Bemidji State; Dec. 16 vs. Ferris; Jan. 19 vs. Bowling Green). Manning also scored two on Dec. 16 vs. Ferris State.
- Aaron Trotter went over 700 saves on the season (784), and recently surpassed the .900 mark in season save %. He leads D-I freshmen men's goalies in saves and minutes played.
- Through 28 games last season, the Toms were 2-25-1 and were outscored 128-44 (4.6 goals allowed, 1.6 scored per game)... through 28 games this season, the Purple are 8-18-2, and outscored just 95-70 (3.4 to 2.5 per game)... over the last 19 games they've been outscored just 58-51.
Killin' It
St. Thomas' special team has killed off 44 of its last 48 penalties.
Tommie D-I Era, Most Games Scoring a Point (Current Players)
19 -- #8-Cameron Recchi and #16-Luke Manning
17 -- #4-Nolan Sawchuk
15 -- #2-Trevor Zins
14 -- #6 Josh Eernisse and #11-Ryan O'Neill
13 -- #3-Lucas Wahlin, #9-Matthew Jennings, #12-Tim Piechowski, #19-Luc Laylin, and #22-Mack Byers
12 -- #17-Jake Braccini
10 -- #18-Ethan Gauer and #29-Jarrett Lee
Quoting Coach Rico Blasi (after Saturday, Feb. 11 game vs. Northern Michigan)
"We played better tonight. I thought we were more engaged and committed to battles. We knew they were going to push, that's what good teams do. You just have to stay focused and stay in the game. At this time of the year, these are the kind of games you are going to be in. Good or bad, for whatever reason, we're accustomed to these one-goal games that go right down to the wire, our guys are comfortable (in these).
"We were tighter (with our assignments), we were more committed, we battled. That's the way we have to play. That's our identity."
Breakthroughs
The Oct. 8 win over Alaska-Fairbanks was the Toms' first of the D-I era when trailing after two periods, ending an 0-29 string. Twice last season the Toms rallied after a 40:00 deficit to force overtime but were unable to complete the comeback with a win. The Oct. 8 win also was first overtime victory of the Division I era (1-5-2 in the D-I era in 3-on-3 overtime results).
St. Thomas now boasts wins over the CCHA's top three teams (Minnesota State, Michigan Tech, Bowling Green). Tech and MSU were ranked at the time, the first two ranked wins of the Purple's D-I era. In 23 of its 30 games, St. Thomas has been within one goal, tied, or led during the third period.
St. Thomas recorded its first D-I win against an in-state opponent with a 3-2 upset victory in overtime at then-13th ranked Minnesota State on Feb. 3. Prior to that win, the Tommies were 0-15-1 against other Minnesota schools in Division I play. The Toms had previously earned its first point against an in-state opponent at the D-I level with a 2-2 tie at Bemidji State on Dec. 3.
After a 2-12 start this winter -- with eight defeats by one or two goals -- the Toms have compiled a 7-7-2 record over their last 16 games. They compiled the program's first three-game unbeaten streak of the D-I era in mid-January.
Hockey Honors
The Toms had the CCHA Forward of the Week on Feb. 6 with Luc Laylin after St. Thomas' series with Minnesota State. Laylin led all CCHA skaters with three goals last week, helping the Tommies to a split with then-No. 13 Minnesota State, including the program's first ever victory over the Mavericks. Scoring the opening goal in both contests, he had two tallies on four shots in St. Thomas' 3-2 overtime win in Mankato in Friday night. He then had one goal on three shots in a 5-2 defeat on Saturday at home. For the weekend he blocked two shots on the defensive end of the ice.
Tommie Men's Hockey also had the CCHA Forward of the Week on Jan. 23 with Mack Byers (three goals, one assist) in the win and tie vs. first-place Bowling Green. One week earlier, Aaron Trotter was named CCHA Rookie of the Week after he stopped 63 of 66 shots in a road split at No. 13-ranked Michigan Tech. He was CCHA Goalie of the Week earlier in the season.
On Nov. 28 St. Thomas had two of the four players chosen as CCHA Players of the Week: Goaltender of the Week Aaron Trotter, and Rookie of the Week forward Josh Eernisse. Both are freshmen.
Two weeks earlier, Jake Braccini was named CCHA Rookie of the Week. A Hanover, Minn., native and Buffalo High graduate, Braccini scored a goal and three assists in a split vs. Ferris State. Both of his goals were scored on the power play, and he is tied for 12th among CCHA players with three power-play goals on the season. Braccini has collected three goals over his last six contests. His 11 points (four goals, seven assists) rank him tied for fifth on his team in scoring. The Toms previously had only had three CCHA Players of the Week in the two-year D-I era, and none in the same week. Trevor Zins (Defenseman) and Tim Piechowski (Rookie) were selected last season, and Ethan Gauer (defenseman) was honored earlier this season.
Bemidji Trip
The Toms played Dec. 2-3 at Bemidji State -- their 10th weekend in a row of competition. They fell 6-4 on Friday, then tied 2-2 on Saturday -- gaining their first point in the standings against a Minnesota foe in the team's brief D-I history. Mack Byers scored two goals in each game, Lucas Wahlin recorded four total assists, and Aaron Trotter saved 63 of the 71 shots he faced.
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Click HERE to access complete Tommie Men's Hockey weekly notes
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