Laker hockey heads to Bemidji, Sault wrestling splits
SAULT STE. MARIE — The Lake Superior State hockey team will take to the road this weekend to tangle with the Bemidji State Beavers in a pair of Central Collegiate Hockey Association contests at the Sanford Center.
The Lakers will be looking to snap an eight-game winless streak when the puck drops on Friday night at 7:07 p.m. Central Standard Time.
Bemidji leads the all-time series against LSSU 36-32-6, which dates back to 1966, and is coming off a five-point weekend against St. Thomas.
Laker captain Louis Boudon enters the series needing just one point to reach 100, and is also second in the CCHA, averaging 3.86 shots per game. Jake Willets just appeared in his 100th game in a Laker uniform last Saturday against Bowling Green.
The Lakers will likely not see many power play opportunities over the weekend as Bemidji State is one of the most disciplined teams in the league, averaging the fewest penalty minutes per game (7.21) in the CCHA.
Sault High grapplers split at SAC meet
ST. IGNACE – The Sault High wrestling team opened its season on Wednesday night, taking on the St. Ignace Saints and the Cheboygan Chiefs, who were the district champions last year. The Sault went 1-1 at the meet, beating the Chiefs 39-33, but falling to the Saints 48-36.
Against Cheboygan, Will Ohman, Cody Russo, Caleb Klier, and Tim Garland all notched pins to help the Sault cause. Ohman, who normally wrestles at 138 pounds, jumped up a class to wrestle at 150 and pinned his opponent in just 29 seconds. Klier, wrestling for the first time, earned his pin with 30 seconds left in his match.
Russo, also wrestling up a weight class, got his pin at 175 pounds in the second period, while Garland pinned his opponent in the third.
Ohman notched his second win of the day against the Saints, as did Russo and Wyatt Peabody. Russo's win came courtesy of a second period pin.
The Sault wrestling team has grown in the past year, ballooning from an eight-man team in the 2021-22 season to a 19-man squad this season under second-year coach Jacinto Arreola, along with assistant coaches Brendin Cryderman, Matt Vieira, and Gordi Campbell.
The Blue Devils will be back in action on Wednesday for a home meet at 5:30 p.m.
Black Bears take two from Lakers hardwood
MACKINAC ISLAND – The Maplewood Black Bears made the trip to the Island on Tuesday and came home with a pair of wins. The boys took a 54-25 win over the Lakers, while the girls won 43-22 to open Northern Lights Conference play.
Brayden Altoft scored 19 points to lead the boys, and also grabbed 15 rebounds. John Smith scored 12, while Carver Day chipped in with nine. Ian Browne grabbed 10 boards for the Black Bears who start the season 1-0.
The Lakers were led by Vincent Davis, who scored nine points.
For the girls, Chloe May and Aksana Chromy scored 17 points apiece in their second win of the season. May had 25 rebounds and Chromy had six assists. Finley Hudecek hit for nine points.
Lakelyn Bunker led the Lakers with nine points.
The two schools will meet again on Monday at Maplewood.
Boys:
MAPLEWOOD 12 17 13 12 – 54MACKINAC ISLAND 2 8 10 5 – 25
MAPLEWOOD – Smith 12, Browne 6, Altoft 19, Rader 4, Day 9, Thompson 1, Henderson 3. FT: 11-21; F: 6; 3PFG: 1 (Henderson).
MACKINAC ISLAND – Kromer 4, Davis 9, Cowell 7, Hardy 3, McClean 2. FT: 0-2; F: 16; Fouled out: None; 3PFG: 3 (Cowell 1, Davis 1, Hardy 1).
Girls:
MAPLEWOOD 11 13 9 10 – 43MACKINAC ISLAND 1 8 3 10 – 22
MAPLEWOOD – May 17, Hudecek 9, Chromy 17. FT: 9-19; F: 11; Fouled out: None; 3PFG: None
MACKINAC ISLAND – Rickley 6, Gamble 6, Cowell 2, Bunker 11. FT: 3-8; F: 17; Fouled out: None; 3PFG: 1 (Rickley).
This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Laker hockey heads to Bemidji, Sault wrestling splits
