2008 Woodie Awards
Hockey prepares for Lake Superior State
Erika Hadley
Issue date: 1/18/08 Section: Sports
|
Friday night will mark the first night that the Red and White has played a game at home since its series split with the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Dec. 7-8.
The RedHawks enter this weekend's series boasting a 13-3-0 record in CCHA play and 21-3-0 overall. Meanwhile, the Lakers are 3-13-4 overall and recently improved their conference record to 1-10-3 after capturing their first CCHA win against Bowling Green State University last weekend.
"We're not going to take them lightly," junior goaltender Jeff Zatkoff said. "They're going to come into the weekend with a little momentum-I mean obviously since they just got their first win (in CCHA conference play)."
Last season, Miami went 3-1-0 against LSSU during the regular season, but later suffered a surprising upset sweep by the eighth-seeded Lakers with back-to-back 2-1 losses during the second round of the CCHA playoffs.
This year, however, the Red and White is more aware than ever of the kind of target that being a top-ranked team puts on its back, and the team is prepared to handle the intensified onslaught that lower-ranked teams are sure to be bringing.
"Basically we have to realize that with the last couple years, having all the success we've had, that we're going to get every team's best every weekend," junior forward Brian Kaufman said. "We need to be prepared because no matter who we're playing, it's gonna be a game. Even if it's a lower ranked team, we're gonna see their best game and we need to be ready because if we're not at our best we could lose."
Zatkoff acknowledged that last time the RedHawks were at home they might have overlooked their opponent.
"Last time we took Alaska lightly and they got their first win with us," Zatkoff said. "Needless to say, we'll be ready for this weekend."
Be the first to comment on this story