The Lake Superior State Lakers men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents Lake Superior State University. The Lakers are a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). They play at the Taffy Abel Arena in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
History
NAIA years
The Lake Superior State men's ice hockey program began in 1966 as a member of the NAIA, under coach Ron Mason. The Lakers won the first program game with a 7-0 shutout of the VFW Chippewas. The shutout and win streak continued through the team's second ever game when Lake Superior State College won 2-0 against the Sault (Ont.) Rapids. The Lakers finished their inaugural season 15-5-0.
The Lakers joined the International Collegiate Hockey Association (ICHA) its second season and stayed in the league through the 1973-74 season. The Lakers swept their first league series in program history with two high scoring games against Lakehead, winning 9-4 on November 18, 1967 and 8-6 the following night. The pattern continued as Lake Superior swept through the regular season and advanced to the programs first ever post-season tournament appearance in the 1968 NAIA Ice Hockey Tournament. The Lakers won their first ever playoff game in deciding fashion 7-1 over Gustavus Adolphus College. Lake Superior's run was ended in the 1968 NAIA Championship game when they lost to Bemidji State 4-5. History repeated itself the following season when Lake Superior again fell to Bemidji in the 1969 NAIA Championship 5-6. The Lakers finished the season with a record of 21-5-1, the only losses on the season coming at the hands of the Beavers.
In the 1969-70 season Lake Superior again advanced through the ICHA regular season and the ICHA to the 1970 NAIA Tournament. Lake Superior advanced to the championship game against Bemidji State for the third straight season with a dominating 22-3 win over Alaska Methodist. The Lakers fell to Bemidji State 4-7, the third straight loss to Bemidji State in the NAIA Championship game.
The 1970-71 season marked the first season since the inaugural 1966-67 season that the Lakers failed to make the NAIA tournament, finishing the season with a record of 13-9-4. The Lakers joined the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) as one of the founding members of the league in 1971 and began play in the CCHA for the 1972-73 season. Lake Superior also remained in the ICHA and NAIA. The Lakers picked up their first CCHA victory on November 4, 1972 when they beat Saint Louis University 7-3. The team qualified for the NAIA Championship Tournament after not receiving a bid in the past season. The Lakers defeated Wisconsin State 12-2 and defeated Gustavus Adolphus 9-3 to win the program's first ever National Championship. Lake Superior fell to Lakehead in the 1973 NAIA Championship Tournament, marking the Lakers first post season loss not in the Championship game, but rebounded the next day with an 11-3 win over Gustavus Adolphus for the NAIA Third Place game. Following the 1973-74 season Ron Mason left to become the head coach at Bowling Green, Mason was replaced by Rick Comley.
The 1973-74 season marked a historic year for the Lakers ice hockey program. Lake Superior State finished the regular season and qualified for the 1974 NAIA Championship Tournament. The Lakers advanced to the NAIA Final Four with a 7-1 victory over Concordia College (MN), then picked up a deciding 9-2 win over St. Thomas to advance into the NAIA Championship against rival Bemidji State. The Lakers won their second NAIA Championship with a 4-1 victory over the Beavers. The championship was not the end of the season, as the Lakers also received a bid to the CCHA Tournament. Lake Superior won their first ever CCHA playoff game against Western Michigan but fell in the CCHA Championship to Saint Louis 3-8. The Lakers also advanced to the National Invitational Tournament held in Saint Louis, Missouri but fell 2-3 to Vermont and 1-9 to CCHA rival Saint Louis. The 1973-74 also marked Lake Superiors last season as a member of the NAIA for ice hockey.