It was a cross-border men’s hockey showdown at Taffy Abel Arena in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, as the Sault College Cougars and Lake Superior State University (LSSU) Lakers opened the best-of-five 2025–26 Lukenda Cup series on Friday, October 17th and Saturday, October 18th. The Cougars came out strong on both nights, earning back-to-back victories to take a 2–0 lead in the series in ACHA Division II action.
Game One – Friday, October 17th
Sault College Cougars 5 – LSSU Lakers 1
The Cougars struck first midway through the opening frame when Jacob Kovacs buried his second of the season at 11:00, assisted by Owen Avery.
In the second period, Lucas Diberardino extended the Cougars’ lead at 12:03 with his first of the campaign, set up by Liam McDonald. LSSU responded just over a minute later when Yandell Vega capitalized on the power play, converting his fourth of the season from Seth Stock and Derrick Brown to make it 2–1.
The Cougars controlled the third period. Nolan Desjardins restored the two-goal lead at 15:30, assisted by Kovacs and Cameron Lemcke, before Ethan Novello added an empty-netter at 19:22. Just 14 seconds later, Brock Santa Maria capped off the scoring with his second of the year, assisted by Caleb Wood and Nick Jameus, sealing a 5–1 win.
Goaltenders:
Sault College – Keenan Marks (26 saves on 27 shots)
LSSU – Sean Piotrowicz (33 saves on 37 shots)
Game Two – Saturday, October 18th
Sault College Cougars 8 – LSSU Lakers 3
The Cougars carried their momentum into Saturday’s rematch, lighting up the scoreboard with four goals in the opening period. Owen Avery opened the scoring at 1:43 from Jameus and Santa Maria, followed by Piper Post’s first of the season at 8:18. Dylan Winsor added a power play tally at 11:44, and Nick Jameus struck again on the man advantage at 19:52 to give the Cougars a commanding 4–0 lead after 20 minutes.
The offensive outburst continued early in the second as Jameus netted his second of the game and third of the season just 2:50 in, assisted by Santa Maria and Harley Wardell. Caleb Wood made it 6–0 at 8:18 before the Lakers finally broke through at 14:48 on a goal from Andrew Langford.
In the third, Seth Stock converted on the power play for LSSU at 12:34, and Langford added a shorthanded goal three minutes later to make it 6–3. However, the Cougars answered with a pair of late markers — Santa Maria scored his third of the season at 17:13 on the power play, assisted by Michael Starzomski and goaltender Keenan Marks, before Wood closed out the game at 19:13 with his fourth of the season from Brodie McLeod and Jonah Des Rosiers.
With the two-game sweep, the Sault College Cougars take a 2–0 series lead in the Lukenda Cup and look poised to defend their title.
Next up, the Cougars will hit the road over the October 24th–26th weekend, traveling to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, to compete in a showcase hosted by the Marian University Sabres.
