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 Stavros Paskaris is WSU's co-leader in points this season. |
Nov. 7, 2007
GAME STORYLINES
Having recently completed a season-opening six game road trip, the Wayne State men's hockey team (0-5-1, 0-2-0 CHA) will open its 2007-08 home schedule with a two-game set against Lake Superior State (1-4-1, 0-2-0 CCHA) this weekend at the Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum in Detroit. The puck is slated to drop at 7:05 p.m. ET both Friday and Saturday.
The Warriors, who were idle last weekend, are still searching for their first win of the season, managing just one tie (Oct. 20 at Ferris State) in their first six games. Lake Superior State is coming off a series at Notre Dame in which the Fighting Irish swept the Lakers by scores of 7-3 and 4-1.
Wayne State will host College Hockey America rival Bemidji State next week, Nov. 16-17, before hitting the road again Nov. 23-24 to battle St. Lawrence.
BEHIND THE BENCH
Bill Wilkinson is in his ninth season as Wayne State's head coach and his 26th year as a collegiate head coach. Wilkinson's overall record stands at 426-449-80, while his mark at WSU is 113-148-27. He entered the 2007-08 season ranked 23rd on the NCAA all-time wins list.
In his third season at the helm of the Lakers, head coach Jim Roque has a career record of 37-37-11.
THROUGH THE YEARS
Lake Superior State holds a 4-2-0 advantage in a series, dating back to 2000, in which the home team has won every meeting. The Lakers and Warriors have not faced off in Detroit since a Wayne State sweep Jan. 4-5, 2002. LSSU won both games last season (Nov. 16-17), including a 3-0 shutout in the first game.
IN THE POLLS
Wayne State was selected to finish fourth in the CHA preseason coaches poll, while Lake Superior State was tabbed for seventh in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association preseason coaches poll and ninth in the media poll.
ON THIS DATE
On November 9, the Warriors were blanked 9-0 at Ohio State in 2001 but earned a 5-4 victory at then 12th-ranked Ferris State the following season.
Wayne State is 1-2 on November 10 in its history, with a 3-2 overtime loss in 2000 against Findlay, a 3-2 loss at Ohio State in 2001, and a 5-3 win at Brown last year.
SCOUTING LAKE SUPERIOR STATE
LSSU returns 15 letterwinners from last year's squad which finished 21-19-3 and advanced to the CCHA semifinals for the first time in 11 years. Much like the Warriors, however, the Lakers are a young team as they have only three seniors on their roster including assistant captain Dan Eves.
Eves is LSSU's co-leader in points this season (2-3--5) along with sophomore and New Jersey Devils draftee Nathan Perkovich (5-0--5) and freshman Chad Nehring (2-3--5). Three of Perkovich's team-best five goals have been on power plays, while Nehring netted the game-winner in the Laker's only win this season Oct. 27 against Clarkson.
Junior forward Troy Schwab, the Lakers' co-leader in points a year ago, is serving as team captain this season. He has three assists through the first six games.
Sophomore netminder Pat Inglis is winless (0-3-1) in four starts with a 4.34 goals-against average and a .850 save percentage. San Jose Sharks draftee Brian Mahoney-Wilson is 1-1-0 with a 2.08 GAA and a .941 save percentage in his first collegiate season.
LAST TIME OUT
Wayne State managed just one goal in each game as the Warriors were swept at CHA foe Robert Morris by scores of 3-1 and 4-1 two weeks ago.
Captain Mike Forgie, who has lit the lamp in all three series this season, ended RMU's shutout bid in the opener with his third goal of the season at 13:52 of the second period, assisted by freshman Jeremy Tejchma, who achieved his first collegiate point, and senior Tylor Michel.
Despite the Warriors' 16-2 edge in shots on goal during the second period of the latter game, they managed just one goal off the stick of rookie Dylan Exton, who earned his first career point as did defenseman Ryan Adams with an assist. Classmate Tyler Ruel also had a helper on the play.
Wayne State, which had scored a power-play goal in each of the first four games of the season, was 0-for-8 with a man advantage in the series.
Robert Morris, meanwhile, scored four power-play goals over the weekend, three of which came in the second game.
WSU NOTES
Of the 12 freshmen who have seen ice time this season (excluding goaltender Kyle Funkenhauser), five have provided an offensive contribution of at least one point. Those five rookies have a combined seven points, 27 percent of WSU's team total of 26. Ruel leads the Warrior freshman class and ranks third among CHA rookies with three points (all assists).
The Warriors are led in scoring by seniors Forgie (3-1--4) and Stavros Paskaris (0-4--4), both of whom are tied for 12th in the CHA in points. Forgie has two of WSU's four power-play goals this season and needs one more to tie Jason Baclig for eighth all-time (10).
Through just 41 games in his career, sophomore assistant captain Jeff Caister has already cracked the top 10 in points by a defenseman at Wayne State. He has three this season, bringing his total to 19. Caister is tied for second among league defensemen in scoring and is also one of only three CHA players with a short-handed goal this year.
This weekend's two-game set with Lake Superior State is Wayne State's second of five series this season against teams from the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. WSU's trip to Ferris State three weeks ago resulted in a loss and a tie, while remaining on the schedule are a home-and-home with Bowling Green State and road matchups against Western Michigan and Northern Michigan.
Wayne State is 8-34-3 all-time against CCHA opponents, including a 2-4-0 mark versus LSSU. The home team has won every meeting, but the Lakers and Warriors have not faced off in Detroit since a Wayne State sweep in January 2002. LSSU won both games last November, including a 3-0 shutout in the first game.
LOOKING AHEAD
After their series Nov. 16-17 against Bemidji State and road trip Nov. 23-24 to St. Lawrence, the Warriors have a home-and-home set with BGSU (Nov. 30-Dec. 1), the latter of which is the beginning of a nine-game swing away from Detroit.
