Icers out for revenge against Lakers

By Arun Gopal

Daily Sports Writer

Coming off of a decidedly unhappy holiday, the Michigan hockey team needs to build some momentum for the rest of the season when Lake Superior (6-9 CCHA, 10-12 overall) comes to Yost Ice Arena for a pair of games this weekend.

The Wolverines (7-3-1, 13-5-3) are still recovering from a disastrous outing in the Great Lakes Invitational. Michigan was pummeled 7-3 by Michigan Tech on Dec. 29 and was then hammered by Boston College, 8-5, in a consolation game on Dec. 30. The two losses - which snapped a seven-game unbeaten streak that had propelled Michigan to No. 4 in the country - left the Wolverines reeling but taught them some valuable lessons.

"We learned that if we don't show up, any team's going to beat us any night," forward Scott Matzka said. "Tech had only four or five wins coming into the tournament and they made us look like a Bantam team out there. It was pretty embarrassing."

Not only did the two losses drop Michigan to No. 8 in the latest polls, but they also made this weekend's games against the Lakers that much more critical.

"Right now, this is a really important weekend for us," goaltender Josh Blackburn said. "Whoever it is that comes in here, we need to have a good weekend as far as momentum goes."

Prior to last season, most prognosticators had Lake Superior pegged to finish as low as eighth in the CCHA. But coach Scott Borek's Lakers surprised everyone by posting a 17-9-2 league record, good enough for third place.

Much of the credit belongs to senior goalie Jayme Platt, who was named a second-team All-American last season. His presence in net gives the Lakers a chance in every game they play.

"He's one of the best goalies in the nation," Matzka said. "He's going to be probably as good a goaltender as we've faced all year, so that'll be another challenge for us."

Along with Platt, the Lakers' style of play keeps them in games. Similar to No. 1 Michigan State, Lake Superior is an example of substance over style - the Lakers won't blow anyone away with a high-powered offense, but they play sound, fundamental hockey and make very few mistakes.

"They're a grinding, defensive team," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "They don't give you much, and they pride themselves on playing team defense. They make their chances count, and they're tough to play against."

Adding fuel to the fire for the Wolverines is Lake Superior's recent success at Yost Ice Arena. Last season, the Lakers swept a pair of games in Ann Arbor, with one win coming by shutout.

The Wolverines got some revenge with a win in the 1999 GLI, but there is still a bitter taste in Michigan's mouth from the Lakers' last visit to Yost.

"We're well aware of our history with Lake State, particularly last year," Berenson said. "There's no question that there will be enough respect for their team. Whether or not we're good enough to beat them, we need to put our best foot forward."

BRENDAN O'DONNELL/Daily

David Wyzgowski scored his first goal in a Michigan jersey this past weekend against Boston College. He will look to add more this weekend when the Wolverines face off against Lake Superior.

Yost Ice Arena

This weekend

Who: Michigan (7-3-1 CCHA, 13-5-3 overall) vs. Lake Superior (6-9, 10-12)

When: 7:30 p.m. tonight, 3 p.m. Sunday

Latest: The second game was originally scheduled for Saturday night, but was changed for television purposes and will air on Fox Sports Detroit.