The Worst Seasons in the Past 25 Years Part 25: Lake Superior State
Welcome to the Worst Season in the Past 25 Years, a series in which r/CollegeHockey reviews the worst season for all 60 Division I teams over the summer to alleviate the crushing boredom known as the off-season and take a horrific tour down memory lane.
If you are interested in writing an entry for your team, please let me know via PM. I’ll be posting entries on weekdays at approximately at 6 pm Eastern time and will be going in alphabetical order. If an entry is not posted at that time, assume that “real life” has gotten in the way and that I am not able to post. If I am aware in advance that I will not post at 6 pm on a particular day, I will announce it in prior posts as a heads up.
In the words of u/binkelman:
And now…/r/CollegeHockey presents the Lake Superior State Lakers! Lake State looks back fondly on its history, as things have not been so great in Sault Ste. Siberia since the departure of head coach Jeff Jackson in 1996. Four different head coaches have tried their hand at running the program and, with the exception of a Cinderella appearance in the CCHA Semifinals in 2006-07, there has been little to break the stretch of monotony. While some debate takes place for what is considered the worst season in recent memory for LSSU, as many were quick to dump on current head coach Damon Whitten’s first season (2014-15), the one that stands out in the minds of so many is..
2002-2003 Record – 6-28-4, 3-26-1 CCHA (W-L-T)
Wins: Mercyhurst (x2,) Quinnipiac (in Orono,) Michigan State, Northern Michigan, Bowling Green
Losses: @Maine, @Michigan State (x2,) Northern Michigan, @Northern Michigan (x2,) Ohio State (x2,) @Michigan (x2,) @Western Michigan (x2,) Omaha (x2,) Michigan State, @Alaska, Michigan (x2,) Ferris State (x2,) @Notre Dame (x2,) Bowling Green (OT,) @Miami, @Ferris State (x2)
Ties: Canisius (x2,) @St. Lawrence, @Alaska
Biggest beatdown: 8-1 @Miami or 7-0 @Michigan State
Head Coach: Frank Anzalone (part 2)
Summary: When Frank Anzalone was brought back into the fold in 2001, the Lakers looked nothing like the national powerhouse he had built the program into before not being renewed in 1990 (some say fired, others say he left of his own accord.) In just five years under Scott Borek, the Lakers went from a regular NCAA qualifier to missing the CCHA tournament altogether. It was well understood by fans and administration that a rebuild would take time and there would be many painful moments along the way.
To start, the team was comprised of two seniors (although one left the team midway through the season,) three juniors, five sophomores, and an astounding 15 freshmen. Many members of the previous years’ squad either left or were not welcomed back. Leading the Lakers was senior captain Jeremy Bachusz, who had a team high 18 points (8-10-18,) and sophomore goaltender Matt Violin (who was largely responsible for the lone highlight of the previous year, when he made 43 saves to upset Michigan in a playoff game,) who went 4-23-3, with a 3.74 GAA and .903 SV%. The season started off promisingly enough, as the Lakers got off to a 3-1-0 start, with a win over Quinnipiac and a sweep of Mercyhurst. Following that, however, LSSU went on an 0-13-1 stretch, including a blowout at Michigan State and an intriguing loss against Nebraska-Omaha. The streak stretched from the blowout at MSU on October 24th until January 3rd, when MSU came to Sault Ste. Marie, with the Soo Lakers thumping the Spartans 7-1.
Anzalone was well known for his AA type personality, his off-the-cuff remarks, his public criticism of players and administration, and his creativity in coaching, all of which still makes him a polarizing figure in the history of Laker hockey. On December 6, 2002, Anzalone dipped into his bag of tricks against UNO and pulled out a scheme of his from his first stint as coach. With under 10 minutes to play, Anzalone began pulling goaltender Violin at every opportunity, in hopes of making a comeback. The attempt was unsuccessful, with the score remaining 4-1 UNO (game recap: http://lssulakers.cstv.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/120602aab.html.) Back on December 15, 1984, Anzalone used the same strategy against Illinois-Chicago, pulling goaltender Randy Exelby as often as possible. The move worked, with LSSU scoring 3 goals to tie the game, and netting the winner in overtime.
Starting on December 14th, and going until January 17th, LSSU put together their best stretch of the year, going 1-1-4, with a win against MSU (see above,) a loss against MSU and ties against St. Lawrence, Alaska _airbanks, and Canisius. That would be the lone high point of the year, as two wins in February were all the Lakers could muster. In the CCHA Tournament, top-seeded Ferris State made quick work of the anchor, beating them 6-1 in both games of the series.
Anzalone lasted two more seasons, winning 9 games in each of his remaining seasons, before LSSU chose to part ways. The exact nature of his firing is unknown, where some believe it involved NCAA violations, his abrasive personality, the lack of on-ice success, the fact that his classic talking point of being the only visiting head coach to have a winning record at Yost Arena (may be true, may not be true – discuss) not being as important as he thought, or some other reason. Regardless, two days after being terminated, Anzalone filed a wrongful termination suit against LSSU, the results of which has been difficult to find online. Then-assistant coach Jim Roque was immediately named head coach. In Roque’s second year at the helm, LSSU made a surprise appearance in the CCHA Semifinals, which was chiefly because of the outstanding play of 4 time team MVP goaltender Jeff Jakaitis. Following that year, the team settled into the mediocrity from which it has yet to emerge. If Frank Anzalone is a flavour you wish to know more about, here is a good read for you: http://www.uscho.com/2002/04/06/the-once-and-future-king/
For Week 6 of this series, we will look at the worst seasons in recent memory for the following school: Maine, UMass Amworst, UMass Lowell, and Mercyhurst. Once again, if you are interested in doing the entry for your favorite school, shoot me a PM. Your school, name, and date will be added at the end of each post to serve as a reminder. So far, the following people have inquired about a spot:
| School | Username | Tentative Date |
|---|---|---|
| UML | u/LantisEscudo | 7/13 |
| Northeastern | u/therevengeance | 8/2 |
| Penn State | u/saucysalesman | 8/8 |
| RPI | u/Nicholas1227 | 8/16 |
| Union | u/azurearmor | 8/22 |
| Vermont | u/LocksTheFox | 8/23 |
Finally, a shoutout to u/saucysalesman who inspired the idea of this series for doing one for football over at r/cfb. Additionally, thanks to r/CollegeBasketball for the idea of the sub-par MS Paint logos for each school.
Previous Entries in the Worst Seasons Series:
Many thanks to u/binkelman for the LSSU entry!
Posted Jul 10, 2017, 11:30 PM UTC