LAKE SUPERIOR STATE LAKERS: The Lakers enter the weekend with an 11-14-1 record, but on a four game losing streak, a pair each to Bemidji State and Michigan Tech, where they were outscored by a 16-2 total margin.

Lake State is led by junior forward Louis Boudon, who is their only skater averaging more than a point-per-game. Boudon leads the team with 11 goals and 27 points in 26 games of action for the Lakers.

Sophomore defenseman Jacob Bengtsson leads their blueliners with 20 points (2g-18a), two power-play goals and a +3 rating. 

Lake Superior has split the majority of its time in cage between junior Seth Eisele, who has started nine games, and sophomore Ethan Langenegger, who has gotten the call in the other 17 for the Lakers. Eisele has the superior 5-4-0 record to Langenegger's 6-10-1 mark. The latter has the slightly more impressive 2.89 GAA and .908 SV% in comparison to Eisele's 3.11 GAA and .902 SV%.

Team USA took the last matchup between the two sides, a 5-4 shootout win on January 31, 2020 at USA Hockey Arena that saw Thomas Bordeleau and Ty Smilanic score for the U18s in the shootout.

Overall, Team USA has a 5-4-3 (W-L-T) record in a dozen previous matchups with Lake State. This game will be No. 16 of 19 for the 2021-22 Kroger College Series for the U18s.

MADISON CAPITOLS: The Capitols are in the middle of the pack in the USHL's Eastern Conference, currently sitting in fourth place with 34 points from 33 games played.  

The Caps have a very balanced scoring attack with nine skaters having recorded between 20 and 30 points on the campaign. Forward Nick DeSantis leads the team with 30 total points (11g-19a) while Jake Dunlap and Jack Musa have the edge in goals scored, with both having a dozen. 

On the blueline, Luke Mittelstadt and Ben Dexheimer have paced Madison. The former has registered 11 goals, good for second most among all USHL defensemen, while Dexheimer has racked up an impressive 26 points (4g-22a) for the Capitols.  

Simon Latkoczy is the lone qualified goaltender for Madison and has appeared in 21 of the team's 33 games between the pipes. The Slovakian netminder has collected a 14-6-1 record with a 3.22 goals-against average and .896 SV% on the season.    

It's the fourth contest of the season between the Capitols and U17s, with Madison having won the first three by a 20-8 combined score. This will be the second matchup between Madison and the U18s after Team USA took the first matchup by a 7-5 final in Wisconsin back on December 4. Combined, Team USA will see the caps for three more games after this weekend.