1993–94 Lake Superior State Lakers men's ice hockey season

The 1993–94 Lake Superior State Lakers men's ice hockey team represented the Lake Superior State University in college ice hockey. In its 4th year under head coach Jeff Jackson the team compiled a 31–10–4 record and reached the NCAA tournament for the eighth time.[1] The Lakers defeated Boston University 9–1 to win the championship game at the Saint Paul Civic Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

1993–94 Lake Superior State Lakers men's ice hockey season
National Champion
CCHA Tournament, Champion
NCAA Tournament, Champion
Conference2nd CCHA
Home iceNorris Center
Record
Overall31–10–4
Conference18–8–4
Home10–4–3
Road13–5–1
Neutral8–1–0
Coaches and Captains
Head CoachJeff Jackson
Assistant CoachesPaul Pooley
Ron Rolston
Joe Shawhan
Captain(s)Clayton Beddoes
Alternate captain(s)Jay Ness
Mike Morin
Steve Barnes
Lake Superior State Lakers men's ice hockey seasons
« 1992–93 1994–95 »

Season

After coming up just shy of defending their national title Lake Superior was hoping to keep their recent success going. While they lost leading scorer Brian Rolston to the pros, the Lakers returned their next five point-getters and fielded a team full of players who had made consecutive deep runs in the NCAA tournament.

Middling Start

The Lakers began the season with four wins against conference opponents but when they hosted the class of the CCHA, Michigan, in early November Lake State suffered its first loss of the year. Worryingly, the next night against Bowling Green also ended in a loss for the Lakers, who had built their success under Jeff Jackson by being neatly unbeatable at home. After a pair of road wins Lake Superior could only manage a home split against Notre Dame who was still recovering from nearly losing their program a decade earlier. Lake Superior ended the first half of their conference schedule with a loss at Michigan State, dropping to 7–4 and looking like a shadow of the team that had been 20 minutes away from a National Championship eight months earlier.

Tournament Season

The Lakers headed to Alaska to participate in the Great Alaska Face–Off, a tournament held by Alaska–Fairbanks. Unlike most in-season tournaments each team would play one another and the tournament champion would be the team who finished with the most points. Despite having played just two days prior and having to deal with the jetlag from the 3,500 mile journey, the Lakers swept through the competition, winning each game and winning the second iteration of the tournament.

lake Superior got two full weeks to recover from the trip before they hit the ice again and they continued their winning streak with another pair of road wins. After splitting a road series the Lakers got another week off before they headed to Minneapolis for the Mariucci Classic. Lake Superior began with the long-awaited rematch against Maine and got a small measure of revenge with a 2–1 win. LSSU then battled Minnesota for the tournament title and required double overtime to decide the winner but when the dust settled it was Lake Superior who held the crown.

Sliding

Lake Superior barely got a breather after the arduous tournament before they were thrown back into the fire. The Lakers headed to Michigan to take on a Wolverine team that was thus far undefeated in conference play. Lake State fought valiantly in the first game, narrowly missing with a 3–4 loss in overtime but after Michigan's win in the second game Lake Superior had dropped to 9–6 in the CCHA, 13 points behind the Wolverines. After recovering with three points against Ohio State the Lakers against suffered a home split then played three overtime games in a week that ended with mediocre results.

Recovery

The Lakers got the first week of February off and when they returned to game action that were already out of the running for the conference championship (with 8 games still to play). One bright spot, however, was that Michigan had been so dominant against the CCHA that the three losses Lake State suffered were mirrored by their competition for the 2nd-seed. The Lakers began their final stretch against Michigan State, who they had to beat if they wanted a top seed, and they blitzed the Spartans with a surprising 11–1 win. LSSU earned three points in the series after tying the second game then captured another three points to pull into a tie for third with Western Michigan.[2]

With the Spartans 2 points ahead with 4 games to play, the Lakers' couldn't have asked for a better schedule than to play Illinois–Chicago and Kent State in consecutive weekends. While the team knew they should beat their weak competition, how they performed was miraculous nonetheless. Up to that point in the season senior starter Blaine Lacher had had a good season but he finally earned his first shutout of the year against UIC. After Lacher allowed only one goal in the rematch the Lakers found themselves in a tie for second with the Broncos after Michigan State's disastrous weekend. Lacher continued his hot streak by shutting out Kent State in consecutive games and after Western Michigan failed to keep pace the Lakers ended the season with a 2nd-place CCHA finish.

CCHA Tournament

Lake Superior's reward was facing 10th-seed Ohio State in the First Round and bye into the semifinal should they win. The Buckeyes proved they were no match for the Lakers when they failed to score in wither of the two games, allowing Lacher to run his shutout streak almost to 300 minutes, a new program record. The quarterfinal bye allowed the Lakers to rest while MSU got in a dogfight with Miami and when the two met the Spartans couldn't beat Lacher who posted his fifth consecutive shutout and was approaching the all-time NCAA shutout record.

Lacher and the Lakers faced a tall task in the conference title game against Michigan and at least early on it appeared that they might have a chance for both the title and the record. However, just after his 375th minute of scoreless play, Lacher finally surrendered a goal and the near-miss to the record seemed to deflate the team. Lake Superior could only muster 15 shots against a ferocious Wolverine defense and the Lakers fell 0–3, ending their three-year reign as CCHA Tournament champions.[3]

NCAA Tournament

Despite catching fire at the end of the season Lake Superior only received the 4th western seed and would have to face Michigan in the Regional Semifinals. That game, however, could only happen if the Lakers could get past Northeastern. The Huskies hadn't played well to end the season but they were still able to put up a fight against Lake Superior, scoring five times and pushing LSSU into their 11th overtime game of the season. Lake Superior had lost as many extra-session games as they had won to that point but they were able to get above .500 and advance to the second round.

Lake Superior wrapped up their stay in East Lansing against the only CCHA team they hadn't defeated all year. The fifth meeting between the two looked like it was going to go the same way as the first four when Michigan opened the scoring 9 minutes in but Lake State responded by scoring three times in just over three minutes to give themselves a 2-goal edge after the first. The Wolverines recovered in the third and methodically took over, firing 20 shots at Lacher and scoring three times to retake the lead but a goal by Kurt Miller, with just 3 seconds left in the second period, tied the score at 4-all. The Laker goal seemed to sap the energy from the Wolverines and the two teams played the final frame a bit more evenly. Neither was able to score and the two teams headed into overtime. Both teams appeared nervous at the start with only one shot being recorded in the first two and a half minutes, but when Rob Valicevic got the first Laker shot of the session it ended up in the back of the net and the Lakers had landed their white whale.

The Lakers headed to Saint Paul for a meeting with Harvard. Lake State's third game of the tournament ended in much the same manner as the first two with overtime being needed but team captain Clayton Beddoes' goal just past the 4-minute mark sent Lake Superior to its third consecutive championship game. The three nail-biting finishes had left their mark on the team with Jeff Jackson downing Tums and Blaine Lacher finding hair coming off in his mask.[4]

Their final game came against the top eastern seed, Boston University, and they were expecting to weather a storm from the favored Terriers who had outscored opponents by more than 40 goals in the first period alone that season. Instead, it was the Lakers who got off to a hot start with one goal in the first period to BU's none. The score might have been a surprise but what was truly shocking was how poorly Boston University had played; the Terriers had only been able to muster 2 shots on goal in the first 20 minutes, and that didn't bode well for their chances. When Kurt Miller put the Lakers' up 3–0 the shot chart read 21–3 in the Lakers favor. BU did score in the second period but by then the route was on and Lake Superior ended up scoring nine goals from seven different players. The 9–1 win was the largest margin of victory and most goals scored by one team since 1961. More importantly was the fact that Lake Superior finally got a National Championship without a cloud of controversy hanging over the victory.[5]

Awards and Honors

Sean Tallaire received the tournament MOP on the back of his two goals but the award could have gone to any number of Laker players with their dominating performance. Tallaire was joined by Blaine Lacher, Keith Aldridge, Steve Barnes and Clayton Beddoes on the All-Tournament team,[6] tying the record for the most players by one team in a season. Blaine Lacher finished with a program-record 1.98 goals against average and 6 shutouts on the season (still program bests as of 2019) but his heroics went unrecognized by award voters as only Beddoes made the AHCA West Second-Team. Even in their conference the Lakers could only manage two All-CCHA Second Team nods[7] (garnered by Beddoes and Aldridge) but in the end the National Championship made up for any slights.

The 1993–94 Lakers became only the second National Champion to play more road games than home games during the season (1977–78 Boston University).

Standings

1993–94 Central Collegiate Hockey Association standings
Conference Overall
GP W L T PTS GF GA GP W L T GF GA
Michigan†*3024514914680413371205112
Lake Superior State30188440129694531104198103
Michigan State30178539115874123135155123
Western Michigan3018102381171014024133165134
Miami301712135112943821161137120
Bowling Green3015132321141053819172149132
Ferris State3012171251101223814231205247
Notre Dame30916523851213811225113165
Illinois-Chicago308202181011443911262135192
Ohio State306195178112435723598158
Kent State306222141091723911262151219
Alaska-Fairbanks^3824131223152
Championship: Michigan
indicates conference regular season champion
* indicates conference tournament champion
^ Alaska-Fairbanks is an affiliate member and its games do not count towards the conference standings

Schedule

Date Opponent# Rank# Site Result Record
Regular Season
October 22 vs. Miami Norris CenterSault Ste. Marie, Michigan W 6–2  1–0 (1–0)
October 23 vs. Miami Norris CenterSault Ste. Marie, Michigan W 3–2  2–0 (2–0)
October 29 at Ferris State Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan W 4–1  3–0 (3–0)
October 30 at Ferris State Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan W 9–2  4–0 (4–0)
November 5 vs. Michigan Norris CenterSault Ste. Marie, Michigan L 2–4  4–1 (4–1)
November 6 vs. Bowling Green Norris CenterSault Ste. Marie, Michigan L 2–3  4–2 (4–2)
November 12 at Miami Goggin Ice ArenaOxford, Ohio W 6–0  5–2 (5–2)
November 13 at Ohio State OSU Ice RinkColumbus, Ohio W 4–1  6–2 (6–2)
November 19 vs. Notre Dame Norris CenterSault Ste. Marie, Michigan L 4–5 OT 6–3 (6–3)
November 20 vs. Notre Dame Norris CenterSault Ste. Marie, Michigan W 6–1  7–3 (7–3)
November 23 at Michigan State Munn Ice ArenaEast Lansing, Michigan L 4–6  7–4 (7–4)
Great Alaska Face–Off
November 25 at Alaska–Fairbanks* Carlson CenterFairbanks, Alaska (Great Alaska Face-Off) W 7–4  8–4 (7–4)
November 26 vs. Michigan Tech* Carlson CenterFairbanks, Alaska (Great Alaska Face-Off) W 4–3  9–4 (7–4)
November 27 vs. Notre Dame* Carlson CenterFairbanks, Alaska (Great Alaska Face-Off) W 2–1  10–4 (7–4)
December 10 at Notre Dame Edmund P. Joyce CenterNotre Dame, Indiana W 2–1 OT 11–4 (8–4)
December 11 at Illinois–Chicago UIC PavilionChicago, Illinois W 4–1  12–4 (9–4)
December 15 at Michigan Tech* MacInnes Student Ice ArenaHoughton, Michigan W 8–2  13–4 (9–4)
December 17 at Michigan Tech* MacInnes Student Ice ArenaHoughton, Michigan L 2–5  13–5 (9–4)
Mariucci Classic
December 31 vs. Maine* Mariucci ArenaMinneapolis, Minnesota (Mariucci Semifinal) W 2–1  14–5 (9–4)
January 1 at Minnesota* Mariucci ArenaMinneapolis, Minnesota (Mariucci Championship) W 4–3 2OT 15–5 (9–4)
January 7 at Michigan Yost Ice ArenaAnn Arbor, Michigan L 3–4 OT 15–6 (9–5)
January 8 at Michigan Yost Ice ArenaAnn Arbor, Michigan L 2–5  15–7 (9–6)
January 14 vs. Ohio State Norris CenterSault Ste. Marie, Michigan T 3–3 OT 15–7–1 (9–6–1)
January 15 vs. Ohio State Norris CenterSault Ste. Marie, Michigan W 4–1  16–7–1 (10–6–1)
January 21 at Bowling Green BGSU Ice ArenaBowling Green, Ohio L 4–5  16–8–1 (10–7–1)
January 22 at Bowling Green BGSU Ice ArenaBowling Green, Ohio W 6–1  17–8–1 (11–7–1)
January 25 vs. Ferris State Norris CenterSault Ste. Marie, Michigan T 2–2 OT 17–8–2 (11–7–2)
January 28 vs. Western Michigan Norris CenterSault Ste. Marie, Michigan L 3–4 OT 17–9–2 (11–8–2)
January 29 vs. Kent State Norris CenterSault Ste. Marie, Michigan W 6–5 OT 18–9–2 (12–8–2)
February 11 vs. Michigan State Norris CenterSault Ste. Marie, Michigan W 11–1  19–9–2 (13–8–2)
February 12 vs. Michigan State Norris CenterSault Ste. Marie, Michigan T 3–3 OT 19–9–3 (13–8–3)
February 18 at Western Michigan Lawson ArenaKalamazoo, Michigan T 2–2 OT 19–9–4 (13–8–4)
February 19 at Western Michigan Lawson ArenaKalamazoo, Michigan W 5–3  20–9–4 (14–8–4)
February 25 vs. Illinois–Chicago Norris CenterSault Ste. Marie, Michigan W 3–0  21–9–4 (15–8–4)
February 26 vs. Illinois–Chicago Norris CenterSault Ste. Marie, Michigan W 6–1  22–9–4 (16–8–4)
March 4 at Kent State KSU Ice ArenaKent, Ohio W 4–0  23–9–4 (17–8–4)
March 5 at Kent State KSU Ice ArenaKent, Ohio W 7–0  24–9–4 (18–8–4)
CCHA Tournament
March 11 vs. Ohio State* Norris CenterSault Ste. Marie, Michigan (CCHA Quarterfinal game 1) W 5–0  25–9–4 (18–8–4)
March 12 vs. Ohio State* Norris CenterSault Ste. Marie, Michigan (CCHA Quarterfinal game 2) W 8–0  26–9–4 (18–8–4)
Lake Superior State Won Series 2-0
March 19 vs. Michigan State* Joe Louis ArenaDetroit, Michigan (CCHA Semifinal) W 4–0  27–9–4 (18–8–4)
March 20 vs. Michigan* Joe Louis ArenaDetroit, Michigan (CCHA Championship) L 0–3  27–10–4 (18–8–4)
NCAA Tournament
March 26 vs. Northeastern* Munn Ice ArenaEast Lansing, Michigan (West Regional Quarterfinal) W 6–5 OT 28–10–4 (18–8–4)
March 27 vs. Michigan* Munn Ice ArenaEast Lansing, Michigan (West Regional Semifinal) W 5–4 OT 29–10–4 (18–8–4)
March 31 vs. Harvard* Saint Paul Civic CenterSaint Paul, Minnesota (National Semifinal) W 3–2 OT 30–10–4 (18–8–4)
April 2 vs. Boston University* Saint Paul Civic CenterSaint Paul, Minnesota (National Championship) W 9–1  31–10–4 (18–8–4)
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from USCHO.com Poll.
Source:

[8]

Roster

No. S/P/C Player Class Pos Height Weight DoB Hometown Previous team NHL rights
1 Paul Sass Sophomore G 5' 9" (1.75 m) 161 lb (73 kg) 1973-04-02 Fenton, Michigan Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)
2 Josh Bilben Freshman D 1972-09-23 Soldotna, Alaska
3 Steve Barnes (A) Senior D 5' 11" (1.8 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1970-07-19 Gravenhurst, Ontario Orillia Terriers (OJHL)
4 Keith Aldridge Sophomore D 5' 11" (1.8 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1973-07-20 Detroit, Michigan Rochester Mustangs (USHL)
5 Ryan Sharpe Freshman D 5' 11" (1.8 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1973-05-08 Kenora, Ontario Thunder Bay Flyers (USHL)
6 Darren Wetherill Senior D 6' 0" (1.83 m) 183 lb (83 kg) 1970-01-28 Regina, Saskatchewan Minot Americans (SJHL) BOS, 189 overall 1990
7 Gino Pulente Freshman D 5' 11" (1.8 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1973-08-15 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Stratford Cullitons (MWJHL)
8 Mike Morin (A) Junior F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1971-07-20 Melville, Saskatchewan
9 Wayne Strachan Junior F 5' 9" (1.75 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1972-12-12 Fort Frances, Ontario Thunder Bay Flyers (USHL)
10 Gerald Tallaire Freshman F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 178 lb (81 kg) 1972-03-10 Winnipeg, Manitoba Estevan Bruins (SJHL)
12 Sean Tallaire Sophomore F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 183 lb (83 kg) 1973-10-03 Steinbach, Manitoba Estevan Bruins (SJHL) VAN, 202 overall 1993
13 Brad Willner Junior D 6' 4" (1.93 m) 209 lb (95 kg) 1973-01-06 Edina, Minnesota St. Paul Vulcans (USHL) NJD, 77 overall 1991
14 Clayton Beddoes (C) Senior F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1970-11-10 Bentley, Alberta Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL)
15 Jay Ness (A) Senior F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1970-03-31 Grand Forks, North Dakota Rochester Mustangs (USHL)
16 Rob Valicevic Junior F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1971-01-06 Detroit, Michigan Detroit Compuware Ambassadors (NAHL) NYI, 114 overall 1991
17 Brian Felsner Freshman F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1972-11-07 Mount Clemens, Michigan Detroit Compuware Ambassadors (NAHL)
19 Mike Koiranen Freshman F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 178 lb (81 kg) 1974-04-07 Thunder Bay, Ontario Thunder Bay Flyers (USHL)
20 Scott McCabe Freshman D/F 6' 4" (1.93 m) 193 lb (88 kg) 1974-05-28 St. Clair Shores, Michigan NJD, 94 overall 1992
21 Kurt Miller Senior F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1970-06-01 Bemidji, Minnesota Rochester Mustangs (USHL) STL, 117 overall 1990
22 Mike Matteucci Sophomore D 6' 3" (1.91 m) 191 lb (87 kg) 1971-12-27 Trail, British Columbia Estevan Bruins (SJHL)
23 Dan Galarneau Freshman F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 194 lb (88 kg) 1972-08-30 Charlesbourg, Quebec Yorkton Terriers (SJHL)
24 Dan Angelelli Junior F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 192 lb (87 kg) 1970-11-01 Roseville, Minnesota
25 Matt Alvey Freshman F 6' 5" (1.96 m) 196 lb (89 kg) 1975-05-15 Grand Rapids, Minnesota Springfield Olympics (NEJHL) BOS, 51 overall 1993
26 Chad Crumley Junior F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1973-04-28 Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Minot Americans (SJHL)
27 Jason Trzcinski Sophomore F 6' 2" (1.88 m) 188 lb (85 kg) 1972-12-02 Livonia, Michigan Lakeland Jets (NAHL)
30 Sean Kulick Senior G 5' 10" (1.78 m) 178 lb (81 kg) 1973-10-19 Riverview, Michigan Michigan Nationals (NAHL)
31 Blaine Lacher Senior G 6' 1" (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1970-09-05 Medicine Hat, Alberta Melville Millionaires (SJHL)

[9]

Scoring statistics

Name Position Games Goals Assists Pts PIM
Sean TallaireRW4523325522
Clayton BeddoesC4423315456
Wayne StrachanRW4524234774
Kurt MillerLW4019234258
Rob ValicevicRW4518203846
Mike MorinF4412253775
Gerald TallaireF3511233428
Keith AldridgeD4510243486
Steve BarnesD397243134
Jay NessC4510172712
Jason TrzcinskiLW431261832
Mike MatteucciD456111764
Brad WillnerD452131542
Matt AlveyRW41681416
Dan AngelelliRW44481266
Darren WetherillD4418992
Scott McCabeD/LW1835814
Dan GalarneauRW3543728
Gino PulenteD212354
Paul SassG110330
John BilbenD2203314
Brian FelsnerC61126
Blaine LacherG3002228
Ryan SharpeD80118
Mike KoiranenLW100118
Sean KulickG80000
Chad CrumleyD0----
Total

[10][11]

Goaltending statistics

Name Games Minutes Wins Losses Ties Goals Against Saves Shut Outs SV % GAA
Blaine Lacher3017852054596636.9181.98
Paul Sass110
Sean Kulick81
Total45311041037

1994 National Championship Game

(E1) Boston University vs. (W4) Lake Superior State

Scoring summary
Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score
1st LSSU Rob Valicevic Miller and G. Tallaire 13:40 1–0 LSSU
2nd LSSU Matt AlveyGW Strachan and Barnes 23:14 2–0 LSSU
LSSU Kurt Miller Valicevic and G. Tallaire 25:07 3–0 LSSU
BU Rich BrennanPP O'Sullivan and Pomichter 29:40 3–1 LSSU
LSSU Jay NessPP Valicevic and G. Tallaire 34:13 4–1 LSSU
LSSU Steve BarnesPP S. Tallaire and Strachan 37:26 5–1 LSSU
LSSU Sean TallairePP Strachan and Morin 39:17 6–1 LSSU
3rd LSSU Mike Matteucci Beddoes 44:40 7–1 LSSU
LSSU Sean Tallaire Barnes 52:51 8–1 LSSU
LSSU Rob Valicevic Bilben and G. Tallaire 58:32 9–1 LSSU

Players drafted into the NHL

1994 NHL Entry Draft

= NHL All-Star Team = NHL All-Star[12] = NHL All-Star[12] and NHL All-Star Team = Hall of Famers = Did not play in the NHL
RoundPickPlayerNHL Team
6136Terry MarchantEdmonton Oilers
9229John GrahameBoston Bruins

† incoming freshman

[13]

See also

References

  1. "Lake Superior Men's Hockey Team History". USCHO.com. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  2. "1993‑94 Western Michigan". College Hockey News. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  3. https://digital.bentley.umich.edu/midaily/mdp.39015071754928/705
  4. "Lake State Destroys Boston University in NCAA Final, 9-1". The Harvard Crimson. April 4, 1994. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  5. "COLLEGE HOCKEY; Lake Superior State Breezes to Championship". The New York Times. April 3, 1994. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  6. "Men's Ice Hockey Award Winners" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  7. "CCHA All-Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  8. "Lake Superior State Men's Hockey Record Book" (PDF). Lake Superior State Lakers. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  9. "Lake Superior State Univ 1993-1994 Roster". Elite Prospects. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  10. "Lake Superior State Univ. 1993-1994 Skater Stats". Elite Prospects. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  11. "1993-94 Lake Superior State University roster and statistics". Hockey DB. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  12. Players are identified as an All-Star if they were selected for the All-Star game at any time in their career.
  13. "1994 NHL Entry Draft". Hockey DB. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
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