The Comley Years

1973-74 With Ron Mason off to Bowling Green State University, LSSC didn’t have to look far to find his successor, naming former team captain and current assistant coach Rick Comley to be the Lakers second head coach. The 1973-74 season started off slow for the Lakers going 0-4 against Michigan Tech and Minnesota-Duluth before Ron Mason brought his new team into the Soo to take on the Lakers. The Lakers beat up on Mason’s Falcons 5-3 and 7-5 to open the CCHA season and start the Lakers on an 8 game streak without a loss. The Lakers when to the Flint Holiday Tournament in Flint, Michigan over Christmas break beating York University in the opening round before facing off against The University of Michigan, for the first time ever, in their second game, which they ended up losing 6-3. The Lakers 5-3-0 in CCHA play to won the regular season title. March found the team heading to Bemidji Minnesota to take part in the NAIA National Tournament where the Lakers beat-up on Concordia and St. Thomas before meeting host Bemidji State in the championship game. The Lakers took Bemidji 4-1 to win their second NAIA National Championship in 3 years. The following weekend LSSC found themselves the CCHA Playoff Runner-ups after beating Western Michigan before falling to St. Louis in the CCHA Playoffs. The Lakers where then off to the 1974 National Invitational Tournament in St. Louis Missouri where they fell to Vermont and St. Louis, bringing to an end arguably the most successful season in LSSC history. 1974-75 Following the NAIA National Championship in 1974 the 1974-75 Lakers came out and posted their worst start in the schools young history going 2-8-0 in their first 10 games. The team was able to rally the second half of the season to post an overall record of 17-14-1, including advancing to the CCHA Playoff finals in St. Louis, Missouri before falling to host St. Louis University 9-1 in the finals. 1975-76 The Lakers came out and won their first 7 games of the 1975-76 season, with an exhibition loss to the 1976 US Olympic Team in between this streak before going 2-6-1 to close out the 1975 calendar year. LSSC played all of their CCHA games in the second half of the season going 9-7-0 in conference games, before again falling to St. Louis in the CCHA playoffs. After 9 years in Sault Ste. Marie including posting a 59-46-3 record as head coach Rick Comley left LSSC following the 75-76 season to start Northern Michigan University hockey program.