The Mason Years

1966-67 Lake Superior State College’s athletic director Bud Cooper named Ron Mason LSSC’s first head coach in 1966 at the young age of 26, just two years after graduating from St Lawrence University, and one year after receiving his master’s degree from the University of Pittsburg. Mason recruited players Archie Orazietti, Jim Booth and Randy McArthur to help in jumpstarting the LSSU program. Mason’s first year upstart Lakers played a very scattered schedule playing 7 games against teams from Ontario, with the remainder of their game being played against other young teams such as Bemidji State and Michigan Tech’s Junior Varsity team, compiling a overall record of 15-5-0. 1967-68 To start the 1967-68 season the Lakers joined the International Collegiate Hockey Association (ICHA), to play against competition such as Lakehead, Wisconsin State, Bemidji State, and St. Cloud State. Ron Mason recruited a forward by the name of Rick Comley to come play for him in Sault Ste Marie. Comley, an NAIA all American his freshman year, led the Lakers to a 21-3-2 record. The Lakers fell to Bemidji State, 5-4, in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) finals in St. Paul, Minnesota after beating them in all four previous meeting during the regular season. Archie Orazietti served as the lakers first captain during the 1967—68 season. 1968-69 The 1968-69 season when much the same way as the previous season, the Lakers compiled a 20-5-1 overall record advancing the NAIA finals for the second year in a row, again falling to Bemidji State 6-2 in a game hosted in Sault Ste. Marie. The Lakers suffered all 5 of their losses on the season to Bemidji. Archie Orazietti was named a NAIA All-American and team MVP for his play in 1968-69. 1969-70 The 1969-70 season when much the same way as the previous two seasons, the Lakers compiled a 19-7-0 overall record advancing the NAIA finals for the second year in a row, again falling to Bemidji State 7-4 in a game again hosted in Sault Ste. Marie. Captain Archie Orazietti was again named to the NAIA All-American team, and team MVP. 1970-71 The 1970-71 season was a disappointing one in comparison to the high standards that the previous teams had set for the young LSSC hockey program. The team finished the season with an overall record of 13-9-4, including going 5-4-1 in ICHA play. Highlights on the season included wins over Bowling Green State University and St. Louis. Senior Rick Comley was named LSSU team captain and became an NAIA All-American and was selected the teams Most Valuable Player. Comley was also named LSSU's Most Outstanding Athlete for 1970-71. 1971-72 The Lakers righted the ship in the 1971-72 season going 20-8-2 on the season. For the first time LSSC participated in a holiday tournament by going to the Duluth Holiday Tournament over Thanksgiving. In Duluth the Lakers toped Manitoba 8-2, Boston College 9-2 before tying Minnesota-Duluth 3-3 in their final game of the tournament. The Lakers enjoyed a 6 game win streak midway through the season with wins over St. Louis, Wisconsin State, and Bemidji State. The Lakers advanced to the NAIA National Tournament for the 4th time in 5 years finding themselves paired up against Wisconsin State for the 5th time in they season winning 12-2. In the NAIA finals the Lakers topped Gustavus Adolphus for their first National Championship. 1972-73 Following up their first National Championship the Lakers saw some dramatic changes in their schedule in 1972-73, they joined the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) that Ron Mason has helped form in 1971, to play league games against teams such as St. Louis, Bowling Green State, Ohio University, and Ohio State, while still playing a ICHA schedule as well. Last years Captain Rick Comley also joined Ron Mason behind the bench as an assistant coach in the 1972-73 season. Mason brought in a 19 year old defenseman from Sudbury named John Flesch, Mason converted Flesch to left wing and John went out and scored 28 goals and 60 points in 29 games as a freshman. Flesch was named to the NAIA All-America First-Team and was a CCHA All-Star Honorable Mention for his spectacular freshman season. In the spring of 1973 Flesch was drafted by the Atlanta Flames 69th overall in the 73 NHL Amateur Draft, Flesch spent the next season in the CHL before making his NHL debut for the Minnesota North Stars October 9, 1974 against Pittsburgh, becoming the first former Laker to play in the NHL. The Lakers came out and posted a 20-10-0 overall record, with a 9-3-0 record in the CCHA and 8-4-0 in ICHA play. The Lakers returned to the Duluth Holiday Tournament over Thanksgiving falling to Minnesota-Duluth, and Boston University, before toping the Air Force Academy 14-3. The Lakers advanced to the NAIA National Tournament again, this year held in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where they fell to Lakehead University in their opening game but came back to win the consolation game Gustavus Adolphus 11-3. Following the 1972-73 season Ron Mason left LSSC to take the coaching position at Bowling Green State University, a team that he had led LSSC to a 6-2-0 record over in his 7 seasons at LSSC. Masons overall record at LSSC was 129-47-8.