Down to the wire again. Lake Superior State went to war with two of the best teams in the country and looked every bit the contender itself at the Kwik Trip Holiday Faceoff.

Despite a 4-3 defeat at the hands of #12 Boston College, the Lakers (6-13-1, 3-9-0 CCHA) went toe-to-toe with a pair of national contenders, stood in the pocket and slugged until the final bell.

The message? The same as after Sunday's result against #2 Wisconsin.

"We belong."

Laker Assistant Coach DJ Goldstein said that Ryan Beck told the team after the game, "We belong. We belong to be playing against teams like this. We belong in games like this."

A pair of goals by Beck and a powerplay goal by William Ahlrik put the Lakers in the lead with five minutes to go in the third period. Beck starred as a force against Boston College (11-6-1, 7-3-0 Hockey East), capping off a tremendous weekend with a skillful double against the Eagles. He put the Lakers on the board early in the second period, had another called back after a review, then tied the game early in the third period on a gorgeous wrap-around finish.

Goldstein said, "He's certainly found a flow state and consistency in the last three or four weeks of games. His brain, his playmaking ability. They're special. He adds an element to our game and our powerplay."

Adam Barone's lethal shot created more chaos for BC. He put the puck on goal, and William Ahlrik tucked in the rebound to put the Lakers up 3-2 on the powerplay.  The Swedish sophomore grabbed the puck from wide of goal and neatly guided it back to the near post for his fifth goal of the year.

"First and foremost, it's his brain," Goldstein said when asked about what makes Ahlrik stand out. "I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a smarter hockey player on the ice. He just thinks the game so well and knows how to get to the right spots. The biggest thing with his production – all of his goals - is he gets to the net. He does that again tonight and gets rewarded. He constantly gets rewarded. That's why he's on the powerplay in that spot. He's such a smart hockey player, and he knows where to be and where to go to get rewarded."

It took a pair of goals by Will Vote for BC to get out with a win against a Laker team that controlled key stretches of the game. While the Eagles outshot the Lakers 34-22, the Lakers spent long stretches of the contest in possession of the puck, creating dangerous chances. Beck remained at the center of the storm, creating havoc wherever he took the puck.

Beck, a transfer from Colorado College, has dominated in his last several contests. The Linden, MI native put up four assists in a win over St. Thomas early in December and now has 10 points in his last eight games. Goldstein pointed to the growth and success of recruits and transfers alike at Lake Superior State as a hallmark of the program.

"You come here, we're going to let you be the hockey player that you are. We're going to help refine some things and teach and coach. But we want you to come here and be the guy you are. If that's making plays, we want you to make plays. If that's scoring goals, we want you to score goals. If it's defending hard, boxing out, finishing your checks and all those things like Mike Brown, you come in here and do that."

Brown, the Lakers assistant captain, had another excellent weekend on the blue line. The Belmont, MA native's well-earned reputation for physical play has made him a fan favorite in Sault Ste. Marie.

The Kwik Trip Holiday Faceoff sets up LSSU well for the back half of the schedule, which features a number of marquee matchups and high-profile showdowns. Lake State battles Northern Michigan next week in the Cappo Cup series, with the Lakers winning the trophy in four of the last five seasons. LSSU also hosts St. Thomas later in the month, with Friday, January 23^rd's game featured as the Superior Ice Showdown at GFL Memorial Gardens in Sault Sainte Marie, ON.

"A big stage," Goldstein said about the Kwik Trip Holiday Faceoff. "Great crowds in a great building. The experience here should help us play in those big games. At home, at GFL Memorial Gardens, down the road. We expect to be good in big moments, and this was a big step toward that."

Buy your tickets now for those exciting showcase games as the Lakers prepare to break out in the back half of the CCHA's regular season. Follow the Lakers on social media and catch every game on 99.5 YES FM and on Midco Sports Plus.