Lloyd wrote:
>I am pulling on behalf of Lake
>Superior State University, even though at first look their record does
>not warrant support.
 
Right now they're at .500, in fifth place in the CCHA.  To have a legitimate
shot at the NCAA tournament (besides winning the playoff) they're going to have
to be at least 4th with a fairly solid record (probably no more than 11 or 12
losses).
 
>This team is a second half team, traditionally,
>and after a championship game loss to Wisconsin in the Marriucci
>Classicand a tie against national power Michigan State, the Lakers
>seemed poised to make a bid for themselves to be one of the lucky 16.
 
Actually, it's 12.
 
The loss to Wisconsin may hurt in the long run.  Remember that Wisconsin lost
to both Michigan and Michigan State in the Hockey Showcase and has been sort of
herky-jerky all season.  (Those more familiar with Wisconsin's program may not
agree with that, but that's my assessment from the other side of Lake Michigan.)
The tie against Michigan State actually helped the Lakers avoid what would have
been a rather embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Spartans for the first
time in 12 years.  It was a game that either team could have or should have won,with some bad goals let in by both sides.  Ron Mason was actually happy to get
out of Sault Ste. Marie with a point, especially after having blown 2 goal leadson two separate occasions in the game.  Save for Anson Carter, LSSU probably
should have won.
 
Matt wrote:
>I think a good indicator will be how
>they do against Michigan this weekend.  Objectively, if they don't
>do well it would be hard to recommend they be given a berth in the
>tournament.
 
This week was pretty much "do or die" time for Lake St.  After this week, they
are done with both the Spartans and the Wolverines.  They still have three
meetings left with Bowling Green.  You pretty much have to assume that the
Lakers have to come out of this weekend series with at least 2 points, to
prove to people that they can play with what are at the moment the elite teams
in the CCHA: Michigan, Michigan State, and Bowling Green.
 
>The bad news is that Michigan is very strong and the Lakers don't
>usually pull it together this early in the season.
 
Right now they really don't have much of a choice.  Usually the Lakers are
sitting in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd and don't really have to turn up the juice that
much come February and March.  But the poor start has put them in a situation
they're not too used to.  Does this mean they'll have to have a performance
like the one Lacher gave them last year down the stretch?  Probably not.  Bu,
you do have to remember, even with the incredible stretch he had, the Lakers
did not win the CCHA playoffs and had to go to OT three times in the NCAA's
to win the title.  There's a fine line between playoff caliber teams and
championship caliber teams in hockey, and at the moment the Lakers are on the
wrong side of the line, and up until the last few weeks were well on the wrong
side of the line.
 
I'm not sure that traditional Laker-style hockey is going to get them there.
They still don't have a dominant scorer and aren't the beneficiaries of solid
goaltending as they've been in the past.  Hopefully a spark comes for them
soon.  (From my perspective, this weekend would be a real nice time for me.
[Sorry, my MSU bias is showing through again.] :-))
 
G. M. Finniss
Michigan State University 9-2-2, 14-5-2
WVU '87, UTenn '92, MSU who the hell knows when?
Glad we're done with LSSU, at least until March