Lakers sweep Falcons with shootout win

By Mike Burrill/Lake Superior State Beat Writer

It was Parent's Weekend up in Sault Ste. Marie and the hometown Lake Superior State Lakers put on quite a show for the moms and dads. Lake State shut out Bowling Green on Friday, 2-0, and escaped a near disaster by winning the shootout Saturday night for the 5-4 victory.

Friday night, Laker netminder Brian Mahoney-Wilson earned his first shutout win of his career. The Lakers came out and scored early as junior Josh Sim buried the rebound off a Troy Schwab shot just 1:17 into the game. LSSU and Bowling Green played the second period in a stalemate as neither team could score.

In the third period, Zac MacVoy would give the Lakers a little breathing room, scoring his fifth goal of the season to put his team up, 2-0. Rick Schofield and Simon Gysbers would get the assists. Mahoney-Wilson would do the rest, securing the win with 28 saves.

Saturday night, the Lakers would come out scoring agian in the first period after dodging some chances by the Falcons. Freshman defenseman Kyle Haines scored his first collegiate goal, assited by Nathan Perkovich and Brad Cooper. Will Acton would get his first goal of the season to put LSSU up, 2-0. MacVoy and John Scrymgeour were credited with the helpers. Troy Schwab would round out the first period scoring with a power-play goal assited by Gysbers and Steven Kaunisto.

The second period would be disasterous for the Lakers. After surrendering a power-play goal, the Lake State defense was caught standing around and gave up two more goals. Bowling Green then scored a shorthanded goal with seconds left in the periord to take the 4-3 lead.

Lake State would come out determined in the third and Schwab would tie the game at four-all just minutes into the period, with assists going to Sim and Fred Cassiani.

Neither team would be able to net the game-winner in regulation or overtime. Next came the shoot-out that the fans were so thrilled about. Kaunisto and Schofield would score for the Lakers and Mahoney-Wilson would stop two of three shots to secure the win. He made 33 saves in the effort.

The 5-4 shootout victory will be recognized as a 4-4 tie by the NCAA.

The Lakers (3-3-2, 3-2-1-1 CCHA) have a tough road ahead, as they travel to South Bend to take on Jeff Jackson's Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Jackson led the Lakers to three straight NCAA title games from 1992-94, winning the '92 and '94 championships.