Three Lakers Earn WCHA Player of the Week Honors

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – Ashton Calder, Will Riedell, and Jacob Bengtsson have each received Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Player of the Week honors as announced by conference officials on Monday, March 8. Calder has been named WCHA Forward of the Week, Riedell has been named WCHA Defenseman of the Week and Bengtsson has been named WCHA Rookie of the Week. 

In the last week, the Lakers have clinched second place in the WCHA standings following the conclusion of the regular season. Lake Superior State earned four of six possible points at then-No. 17 Bemidji State with a win and an overtime loss, and closed the season on Saturday night with a win against Ferris State. 

Forward of the Week: Ashton Calder

Junior forward Ashton Calder led the No. 20 ranked Lakers in the final week of the regular season posting three goals and two assists in three games as the team played a midweek series at No. 17 Bemidji State and a single game against Ferris State. Calder had at least a point in each of the three games, beginning with an assist on the Lakers lone goal in a 2-1 overtime loss on Tuesday night. The forward responded with his first career hat trick in Wednesday’s 5-2 win over the Beavers and notched an impressive nine shots on goal in the game. The Sault Ste. Marie, native tallied the primary assist on the Lakers first goal in the team’s 2-1 win against Ferris State on Saturday night as LSSU clinched the second seed in the WCHA playoffs with the victory. Calder led all WCHA skaters in points this week as well as goals and was the only player to record a hat trick in the conference. His +5 rating was tied for first among WCHA players and his 15 shots on goal also led the conference. 

Defenseman of the Week: Will Riedell

Senior defenseman Will Riedell led the No. 20 ranked Lakers in the final week of the regular season posting one goal and one assist in three games as the team played a midweek series at No. 17 Bemidji State and a single game against Ferris State. Riedell notched his first point of the week in Tuesday’s 2-1 overtime loss against Bemidji State as he recorded the primary assist on the Lakers lone goal in the game. The Greensboro, N.C. native scored the game winning goal, while on the power play, in the Lakers 2-1 win over Ferris State on Saturday night, to clinch the second seed in the WCHA standings. Riedell was the only defenseman in the WCHA to score a power play goal this week and was one of two defensemen to score a game winning goal. Riedell was tied for first among defensemen in the conference in points with two and goals with one, and led all defensemen with nine shots on goal this week. 

Rookie of the Week: Jacob Bengtsson

Freshman defenseman Jacob Bengtsson led the No. 20 ranked Lakers in the final week of the regular season posting a goal and an assist in three games as the team played a midweek series at No. 17 Bemidji State and a single game against Ferris State. Bengtsson recorded his first career multi-point game in the Lakers 5-2 win on Wednesday, March 3 at Bemidji State as the defenseman scored his first collegiate goal and added an assist in the contest. The Stockholm, Sweden native was tied for first among all WCHA defensemen in points this week (1G, 1A) and was one of two defenders to score a game winning goal. Additionally, Bengtsson was tied for first among conference rookies in points this week and was the only first year player to tally a game winning goal. 

The No. 2-seed Lakers will host the No. 7-seed Alabama Huntsville Chargers in the WCHA Quarterfinals this weekend as LSSU secured the program’s highest finish during the record season since the 1995-96 season. The best-of-three series is set to be played at the Taffy Abel Arena on Friday, March 12 at 7:07 p.m., Saturday, March 13 at 5:07 p.m. and Sunday, March 14 at 5:07 p.m., if necessary.