Since the esteemed Scott Monoghan has left our midst, I thought I would pass
along these Laker press releases.
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE           October 1, 1996
Gino Pulente Named 1996-97 Captain Becomes the 31st captain in Laker hockey
history
 
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. --Senior defenseman Gino
Pulente has been named the 1996-97 Lake Superior State University
hockey team captain.
 
The Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario native is a three-time
letterwinner for the Lakers.  He finished the 1995-96 season with
a career-best five goals and 14 points in 31 games.
 
"It is rewarding tribute to Gino after four
years of perseverance and perspiration for the Laker hockey program,"
said Head Coach Scott Borek.  "It is a tribute from his
peers that he has been chosen to lead the team.  I believe the
torch was passed to the right person."
 
Pulente is the 31st captain in Laker history and
the first Soo, Ont. native to be captain since Anthony Palumbo
was chosen in 1988-89.
 
The Lakers open the 1996-97 season on October 12
hosting the defending NCAA Division I National Champion University
of Michigan Wolverines at the Abel Arena.
 
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE           October 6, 1996
LAKER HOCKEY OPENS 1996-97 HOSTING MICHIGAN New Era Begins with Scott Borek
at the Reigns
 
THE TEAMS---The Lake Superior State University hockey
team (0-0-0;  0-0-0 CCHA) opens the 1996-97 campaign hosting the
defending NCAA Division I Champion University of Michigan Wolverines
in a non-conference affair on Saturday, October 12, at 7 p.m.,
 at the Taffy Abel Arena.  The Laker's return 17 letter-winners
from last season's CCHA Regular Season Championship squad.
 
 
 
THE COACHES---Scott Borek (Dartmouth, '85) enters
his first season as the head mentor of the Lakers.  Borek, who
became the seventh head coach in LSSU history on June 13, 1996,
replaces Jeff Jackson, who resigned to become the first-ever U.S.
National Coach.  He served as the head coach at Colby College
for three years, compiling a 33-33-5 record and taking the White
Mules from a 6-17-1 club in 1992-93 to a 14-8-2 record in 1994-95.
 Borek, who was LSSU's associate coach last season, also
has coaching experience at Brown (1988-92), Providence College
(1985-88) and Dartmouth College.
 
 Red Berenson (Michigan, '62), the all-time winningest
coach at UM, enters his 13th season behind the Wolverine bench.
 Berenson led the Wolverines to the 1996 NCAA National Championship
and the 1996 CCHA Playoff Championship.
 
 
NEW COACH---One new assistant coach has joined the
Laker staff.  David Berard (Providence, '92), a Rhode Island native,
comes to LSSU from Providence College, where he spent the last
two seasons as an assistant to Paul Pooley.  Berard also spent
two seasons as an assistant to Borek at Colby College.
 
 
LAST MEETING---The Wolverines captured the 1996 CCHA
Playoff Championship with a 4-3 win over the Lakers at Joe Louis
Arena on March 16.  Bobby Hayes scored the game-winner at 13:24
of the third period.
 
 
IN THE SERIES---LSSU leads the all-time series with
UM, 28-23-5.  The teams finished 2-2-0 last year.  LSSU swept
the Wolverines at the Abel Arena, 5-4 (ot) and 7-5, on February
23-24.  Michigan won on December 8 at Yost Arena,  8-2, and came
away with a 4-3 win in the 1996 CCHA Playoff Championship game.
 
 
 
LOOKING AT THE LAKERS---The 1996-97 season marks
the beginning of a new era for the Lake Superior State University
hockey program.  The Lakers open the season with a new coach;
 11 new players and 17 returning letter-winners.
 
 On offense,  the Lakers return five players who
scored 20 or more points.  Juniors Bates Battaglia (13-22-35)
and Joe Blaznek (17-16-33) rank as the number one and two returning
scorers.  Battaglia finished tied for second in the nation with
six shorthanded goals.  Blaznek tied for the team lead in playoff
scoring with two goals and seven points in six games last season.
 Other key players include:  Matt Alvey (RW,  14-8-22),  Bryan
Fuss (C/W,  6-15-21) and Mitch Lane (RW,  7-8-15).
 
 On defense, LSSU returns five letter-winners including
senior captain Gino Pulente and junior Ted Laviolette.  Pulente
finished with a career-best 14 points (5-9) last year, while Laviolette
added 2-10-12 totals.  Other keys include:  David Lambeth (5-15-20),
Ryan Sharpe (0-0-0) and Trevor Demmans (0-4-4).
 
 LSSU returns John Grahame in goal.  The junior finished
with a 21-4-2 record and a 2.42 goals-against average last year.
 Grahame will be backed up by freshmen Jamie Kosecki (Syracuse,
N.Y./Powell River) and Shawn Greene (Trenton, Mich./Dearborn).
 
 LSSU has several newcomers who should make an impact
this year.  University of Illinois-at-Chicago transfers center
Mike Peron and defenseman Deuce Wynes should be in the line-up
on opening night.  Peron tallied 15-24-29 totals and Wynes, 0-9-9
last year for UIC.  Freshmen right wing Jeff Cheeseman (Minden,
Ont./Vernon), center Fred Slukynsky (Portage, Man./Yorkton) and
center Ben Keup (Minot, N.D./Melfort) look to break into the Laker's
starting rotation.
 
 
SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES---Michigan returns 20 letter-winners
(12 forwards, six defenseman and two goalies) from its 1995-96
National Championship team.
 
 Top returnees include:  senior center Brendan Morrison
(28-44-72) and senior left wing Jason Botterill (32-25-57).  Morrison
earned NCAA Championship Most-Outstanding Player honors,  Hobey
Baker Memorial Award Finalist and was selected The Hockey News
U.S. College Hockey Player of the Year in 1995-96.  Other players
to watch include:  Bill Muckalt (RW, 28-30-58),  John Madden (LW,
27-30-57) and Warren Luhning (RW, 20-32-52).
 
 Junior Marty Turco returns in goal.  The Sault Ste.
Marie, Ontario native posted a 34-7-2 record, a 2.16 gaa and a
.896 save percentage last year.  He also was named to the NCAA
All-Tournament team.
 
 UM  is  led by Blake Sloan (6-24-30) and Harold
Schock (5-20-25) on defense.
 
 
LAKERS ON THE AIR---All Laker hockey games are broadcast
on WSUE-FM (101.3) live throughout the Eastern Upper Peninsula
and northern Ontario.  Mackinaw City's Mike Fornes comes "home"
to provide play-by-play coverage.  Fans outside the WSUE listening
area can call Teamline at (800) 846-4700 and enter Lake State's
team code (1272) to catch all the action with Fornes.    Fans
can catch the Laker Hockey Show,  live from LaSenorita's,  every
Monday at 5:30 p.m.,  on WSOO-AM (1230) with Fornes, Head Coach
Borek and special guests.
 
 
IN THE POLLS---LSSU was ranked fourth in the CCHA
Coaches' Pre-Season Poll and third in the Media Pre-Season Poll.
 Michigan was the top-ranked team in both polls.  On the national
level, the Lakers were picked 11th in The Sporting News Pre-Season
Top-20 Poll.  Michigan was the top pick in the poll, followed
by Vermont, Colorado College and Boston University.
 
 
PULENTE NAMED TEAM CAPTAIN ---Senior defenseman Gino
Pulente has been named the 1996-97 Laker team captain. The Sault
Ste. Marie, Ontario native is a three-time letter-winner for the
Lakers.  He finished the 1995-96 season with a career-best five
goals and 14 points in 31 games.  He is the 31st captain in Laker
history and the first Soo, Ont. native to be captain since Anthony
Palumbo was chosen in 1988-89.
 
 
ALUMNI WEEKEND---Opening night marks Alumni Weekend
for the Lakers.  LSSU will induct 11 former student-athletes and
coaches into its Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 12.  Ron Mason
, Rick Comley, Archie Orazietti and Randy McArthur are the hockey
inductees.  Other inductees include:  Shaun Lake Antler (volleyball),
 Jamie Fleming Berge (basketball), Gary Fors (basketball), Frank
Hamilla (basketball), Brad Shouldice (basketball and track), Helen
Vukovich (volleyball) and Gunile Myers DeVault (former women's
basketball coach).  The Hall of Fame members will be introduced
between the first and second period of Saturday night's contest.
 
 In addition, Jim Booth (1966-70) will receive the
Kenneth Shouldice Award at the Alumni Association Awards Banquet
on Friday evening (October 11).
 
 Tickets are still available for both events.  Contact
the LSSU Alumni Office at (906) 635-2831 for more information.
 
 
 
HOME SWEET HOME---The Lakers open the season with
five of its first six games at the Abel Arena.  In addition to
Michigan, LSSU hosts Northern Michigan on October 16,  Maine on
October 20 and Bowling Green State on October 25-26.  LSSU finished
the 1995-96 season with a 15-3-1 (.816) record at the Abel Arena.
 
 
 
TICKET INFORMATION---There are still tickets available
for LSSU's next two home contests.  Northern Michigan University
comes to town for a Wednesday night face-off on October 16 and
the University of Maine on Sunday, September 20.  Contact the
Norris Ticket Office at (906) 635-2602 for more information.
 
 
LAKER NOTEBOOK---LSSU defeated Northern Michigan
University, 3-1, in its season opener last year; LSSU's
35-game schedule boasts 17 games with teams that were in the top
10 in the nation last year;
 
Games This Week
 
Thursday, October 8---Waterloo at Michigan
 
Friday, October 11---Alaska Anchorage at Alaska Fairbanks;  Mankato State at
Ferris State;  Toronto at Bowling Green State;  Western Ontario at Notre
Dame;  Windsor at Maimi
 
Saturday, October 12---Alaska Fairbanks at Alaska Anchorage;  Mankato State
at Ferris State;  Michigan at LAKE SUPERIOR STATE;  Ohio State at Bowling
Green State;  Toronto at Western Michigan;  Western Ontario at Michigan
State;  Windsor at Miami
 
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