Joe Esson, president of the Soo Michigan Hockey Association (SMHA) and the Head Coach of the Soo Lakers JV Midget (15-18-year-olds) hockey team, says the weekend will be filled with great competition at the Division 1 and Division 2 State Championship games here in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Esson says the Soo Lakers would love any and all support. It’s not very often, if ever, you get the chance to play for a State Championship at home.
Esson explains what this weekend is all about:
This weekend the Soo Lakers JV team will host the Division 1 and Division 2 State Championships. The Soo Lakers JV team is Soo Michigan Hockey Associations high school age team. The Soo Lakers play in Division 2 with their players being from different schools. The team has players from schools of the surrounding area. Soo Area, Pickford,Rudyard and Engadine being a few of the schools. Division 1 has players all from the same school.
The Soo Lakers have 19 players and four coaches all from the surrounding area. The team is designed to give players that don’t go to a high school offering hockey a chance to play at a higher lever through high school. The team plays out of the Big Bear Arena and is full of some great young men from our community.
This season, the Soo Lakers finished 13-4-1 in the Adray West Prep League. They carry an overall record of 31-12-4 (excluding pre season play).
The run for the state championship starts Friday at 5 p.m. Big Bear Arena for the Lakers. Games 2 and 3 will be Saturday 11 a.m. and 6b p.m. both at Big Bear Arena. The Semi-Finals would be Sunday at 9 a.m., and the State Championship game will be held at 3 p.m., both at Big Bear Arena. The rest of the action and other division starts at 1 p.m. Friday, with the final game starting at 5 p.m. Sunday. All games at the Big Bear Arena. Games will take place all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
There is no cost to attend any of these games. It’s a chance to watch some competitive hockey for no charge. This year, the teams involved are as follows.
Division 1
- Rockford Rams
- Grand Rapids United
- Kalkaska Rhinos
- Battle Creek Bruins
- Trenton Prep
Division 2
- Soo Lakers
- Big Boy Prep
- Metro JR Jets
- Trenton Unified
- Lakeshore JR Lumberjacks
- Saline Prep
- Lansing Spartans
- Birmingham Unified Kings
