Where: Propst Arena at Von Braun Center, Huntsville, Ala,
When: Friday & Saturday, 7:07 p.m.
Watch: FloHockey.tv (subscription required)
Ticket information
Charger update: The early non-conference games are over. Now it’s time for UAH (0-6-0) to step up with the WCHA schedule beginning this week against Lake Superior State at the Von Braun Center.
“This is where you’re gonna get judged,” UAH head coach Mike Corbett said. “This is where points are on the line for us. We’ve gained some confidence, doing some certain things, but we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
The Chargers were swept last week in their first series at home against Arizona State. UAH lost a tight 2-1 affair in game one, but surrendered three goals late in the first period and never recovered in a 5-1 loss in the second game.
“They were a bigger team and they leaned on us and they took it to us physically,” Corbett said. “They scored three goals in 90 seconds at the end of the first period, when it was 0-0. Their guy made a heck of a play on the power play, which nobody’s going to stop, but we’ve got to be able to shut the door in the last 90 seconds of the period, and then come into our locker room 1-0, regroup, and the hopefully be able to go after them the rest of the game.”
UAH’s goals were scored by senior Hans Gorowsky on a breakaway on Friday, and freshman Jack Jeffers on Saturday. But that has only raised the Chargers’ goal total to just three in six games.
“We gotta score,” Corbett said. “You’re not going to win a lot of games unless you score goals, and that’s our biggest thing. But it starts in our defensive zone. More defending less and have the puck on our stick coming out of our zone, getting our transition going. Everybody wants to look at the end result, put the puck over the goal line, put it in the net, that’s simple and easy to look at. We’ve got to work on our process getting there.”
It’s Homecoming week at UAH, with the Homecoming king and queen will be crowned at Saturday night’s game.
On Friday night, the first 500 fans will receive the second set of the 2018-19 UAH hockey trading cards, courtesy of Bojangles. Kids 12 and under can get free general admission tickets, courtesy Huntsville International Airport, at the VBC box office on game days.
About the Lakers: Lake Superior State (2-0-0) enters the series coming off a bye week. The Lakers opened the season with a road sweep of Merrimack on Oct. 6-7, then beat Nipissing twice at home in an exhibition series the following week.
Senior forward Diego Cuglietta and junior forward Max Humitz each scored twice against Merrimack. Humitz led the Lakers in goals last season with 13, and Cuglietta was tied for second with Humitz with 23 points. Junior Anthony Nellis, who had 12 goals in 2017-18, also scored a goal against MC.
Sophomore goaltender Mareks Mitens shut out the Warriors 1-0 on Oct. 7, earning him WCHA goaltender of the week honors. Both he and senior Nick Kossoff figure to play roles between the pipes as last season, when Kossoff started 21 games (2.99 goals against average, .911 save percentage) and Mitens 15 (3.46, .896).
“We’re very familiar with [Lake Superior State],” Corbett said. “We’ve played them in a lot of close games and a lot of tight games. They’ve won a couple, we’ve won a couple, so the recent history has been pretty even. I think we can go into the weekend confident that way, that we know we can play with them. They’re an older group. They have some juniors and seniors that are talented, that have run their team as young players.”
The Lakers finished in ninth place and out of the WCHA playoffs last season. They are picked to finish eighth in the UAHHockey.com preseason poll and seventh in the coaches’ preseason poll.
Lake Superior State 2018-19 statistics
Series notes:
Overall: LSSU leads 11-7-2.
In Huntsville: LSSU leads 8-2-0.
In WCHA games (since 2013-14): LSSU leads 8-5-1.
First meeting: Jan. 14-15, 2005 at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Tied 3-3, UAH won 5-0.
Last meeting: Nov. 17-18, 2017 at Huntsville. LSSU won 3-1, UAH won 5-3.
This week in the WCHA: All times are Central. All WCHA home games can be seen on FloHockey.tv. * denotes conference game.
Friday, October 26
* Lake Superior State at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
* Alaska Anchorage at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.
* Bemidji State at Northern Michigan, 6;07 p.m.
* Alaska at #7 Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.
#15 Bowling Green at #4 Ohio State, 6 p.m.
Michigan Tech at #14 Wisconsin, 7 p.m.
Saturday, October 27
* Lake Superior State at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
* Alaska Anchorage at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.
* Bemidji State at Northern Michigan, 6;07 p.m.
* Alaska at #7 Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.
#4 Ohio State at #15 Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
Michigan Tech at #14 Wisconsin, 7 p.m.