As Lake Superior State skated on to the Taffy Abel Arena ice on Saturday night, the Lakers carried the U.S. Coast Guard with them, wearing special uniforms designed as a tribute to the military branch that has deep ties to the Sault Ste. Marie, MI community.

"I think for our program, it was more than an incredible night," said Laker head coach Damon Whitten. "It was a week of awesome connection with our Coast Guard members. Certainly locally, but the awareness of what they're doing around the world and around our nation. It was a special week. It was unbelievable, so many people deserve a lot of credit behind the scenes to get to this day and to be ready for the day. It was a great tribute, and we were really, truly honored to be able to put that jersey on and play for the Coast Guard and all of our military members."

With U.S.C.G. emblazoned on the nameplates, the Lakers (5-10-1, 2-8-0) took to the ice and fought with fervor and passion. In the end, the Augustana Vikings (7-5-1, 4-4-1 CCHA) took a 2-1 victory in a heavy, physical game. 

Ryan Beck scored early for LSSU, on a neutral zone turnover. Calem Mangone intercepted a pass at center ice and fed the puck ahead to Beck, who sizzled in a shot from the right wing. It was Beck's second goal of the season.

Whitten said, "Good to see that go in for Ryan. Early on [this season], he hit six or seven crossbars. He's a dynamic, skilled guy. He gets us on the board early and gives us a lead that, unfortunately, we couldn't hold on to for 60 minutes."

He had another breakaway chance late in the game and consistently terrorized Augustana defenders on and off the puck. Beck's forechecking stood out with his timing, aggression and awareness, and he regularly threatened with scoring chances throughout the contest.

On the other end, Rorke Applebee dazzled again for Lake Superior State, He made 27 saves and appeared totally locked in for LSSU. It took a one-time blast from Leonid Bulgakov to finally get Augustana on the board, a powerplay goal at 13:43 of the third period. The game winner, from Jacob Jastrzebski at 18:27 of the third, came on a whipped shot from the corner that somehow clattered in off of Jastrzebski, who was tied up in front of the goal by a Laker defender. It was an odd goal that decided the game, though Applebee still stood out as one of the top players on the ice for the game.

Whitten praised him after the game, and said that his performance was even better than Friday's game, where Applebee also starred for LSSU. "He had to be better tonight for us, because they had a lot of push. Another outstanding weekend for him. Love the way he's playing."

Though he didn't show up on the scoresheet, defenseman Luke Antonacci played very well for the Lakers again. The senior from Princeton, NJ consistently snuffed out Viking attacks as a mobile, decisive defensive force.

"One of my favorite parts of Luke is his hockey IQ," said Whitten. "That allows him to cut off hands, get inside position and protect himself. He's got tenacity and a great brain to defend extremely well. He's been good for us and this kind of raises the bar for his play for us."

Freshman forward Hunter Ramos was a major part of Laker Hockey's Military Appreciation Weekend. His father serves in the armed forces, Ramos proudly wore the Coast Guard sweaters, and despite not finding the scoresheet, played another excellent game for the Lakers.

Whitten said, "He's been great. We need to play him more. He's forcing our hand to get more minutes and more opportunities. He's been really good on the powerplay, so we've got to find a way to get Hunter some more moments and opportunities to use his speed and his skill. He's a game changer. And he's very honored to represent his family and our program with the jerseys tonight."

The Lakers head to St. Thomas next weekend for their first trip to the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena. Their next home games are January 3rd and 4th at Abel Arena, when the Lakers host Northern Michigan.