Cougars Take Game 1 of Lou Lukenda Cup

The Sault College Cougars hosted the Lake Superior State University Lakers on Friday night in front of a raucous crowd at the Northern Community Centre.

In his return to action, captain Caleb Wood would capitalize on a centering feed from Jake Kovacs 30 seconds into the game and send the building into a frenzy as the Cougars took an early 1-0 lead. The Lakers would respond 2 minutes later, as Hayden Goldstein snuck one past Gavin Disano to tie the game 1-1. Just past the midway point of the period, Kovacs would add his first of the game on the powerplay snapping a shot top shelf and restoring the Cougars' lead. Russell Oldham would add another before the period ended on assists from Gabe Zimbaro and Cameron Lemcke, giving Sault College the 3-1 lead.

As the second period got underway, Brock Santa Maria would benefit from a backdoor pass from Kovacs, extending the lead for the Cougars. Kovacs would add his second of the game 5-minutes into the second frame capitalizing on his rebound. Caleb Wood would continue to build off his strong return to the lineup with his second of the game set up by a Nick Jameus pass. Cameron Lemcke would add another short-handed goal before the end of the period to give the Cougars a commanding 7-1 lead.

As the third period got underway, both teams seemed content playing out the time and getting to game 2 of the series. Nick Jameus would give the home crowd something to cheer about as he would go coast-to-coast with a nifty deke around the defenceman scoring a highlight reel goal midway through the frame. Ethan Esposito would add another before the end of the period giving Sault College a 9-1 victory, and a 1-0 lead in the Lou Lukenda Cup. Gavin Disano would record 20 saves in the victory.

Game 2 of the series will be played at noon on Saturday, November 23, 2024, at the Northern Community Centre.