Frank Anzalone Frank Anzalone is a retired American ice hockey coach who led the Lake Superior State Lakers to their first National Title in 1988 . Career . Playing . Frank Anzalone kicked off a brief playing career when he laced up for New Hampshire in 1973 – 74 , recording 13 points in 29 games . The following season saw him appear in only one match before Frank transferred , appearing for Erie CC almost two year later . Anzalone concluded his collegiate career after the 1977 - 78 season and made a brief appearance for the Erie Blades of the short - lived NEHL before retiring as a player . Coaching . Anzalone got his first opportunity as head coach when he took over for the Waterloo Black Hawks in 1980 – 81 , replacing Ken Yackel mid - season . The next year saw him as the full - time GM / head coach for the competing USHL team , Austin Mavericks . The team finished with an even record ( 24 - 24 ) and after the season Anzalone move on to accept an assistant coaching position at Lake Superior State . Anzlone soon found himself in a new position when Lakers head coach Bill Selman resigned mid - season to move back to St . Louis with Anzalone chosen as his successor . Anzalone finished out his first partial season with a 5 - 10 - 1 record before he began building Lake Superior State into a decade - long powerhouse . he got the Lakers to a 18 - 20 - 2 mark in 1983 – 84 and the following year got the Lakers to a 27 - win season , their first 20 + win season in 10 years . 1985 was also the first time Lake Superior had ever made a NCAA tournament appearance . The Lakers produced two more 20 - win seasons the next two years before Anzalone led them to their breakout year . The 1987 – 88 Lakers won only their second regular season conference title ( the first in 14 years ) en route to the teams first ever 30 - win season . The successful campaign allowed the Lakers to not only be invited to the 1988 NCAA Tournament , but receive a bye into the Quarterfinals despite losing the CCHA Title Game . After an initial setback against Merrimack , the Lakers rallied to take the series , meeting Maine in the semifinals after downing the Black bears 6 - 3 , only St . Lawrence stood in their way of the National Title . In the end the Lakers were victorious , topping the Saints 4 - 3 in overtime . over the next two years Anzalone led the Lakers back to the NCAA tournament , but was unable to replicate the success of ' 88 and after the 1989 – 90 season he left Sault Ste . Marie to become a head coach in the AHL . Anzalone ' s first season as the coach of a professional team landed flat and the Newmarket Saints finished dead last in their conference leading to his dismissal at the end of the season . The following year , now behind the bench for the Nashville Knights of the ECHL Anzalone was once again leading a cellar - dweller but wasn ' t given the opportunity to complete the year , being replaced by Nick Fotiu during the campaign . Anzalone took a season off before returning to coach an ECHL team , this time with the Roanoke Express . Anzalone was able to do much more with the Express , helping them reach the playoffs in each of his five seasons as head coach before he was once again offered an AHL job . Frank led the 1998 – 99 Lowell Lock Monsters to the playoffs with a ( just barely ) winning record but wasn ' t retained after the playoffs and found himself back in the ECHL the next season . Anzalone coached the Pee Dee Pride for 83 games before being replaced in the early part of the 2000 – 01 season . Not out of work for long , it was announced in the spring of 2001 that Anzalone would return to the Lakers after they had fired Scott Borek . Lake Superior had fallen on hard times under Borek ' s five years and were looking for Anzalone to return them to their earlier success but his second stint in Sault Ste . Marie didn ' t bear fruit . In four seasons the Lakers never reached double - digit wins and finished last in the conference twice . Anzalone surrendered the reigns after the 2004 – 05 season and returned to the ECHL the following year . Anzalone coached the Johnstown Chiefs for two seasons , making the playoffs in both , before retiring following the 2007 playoffs . Anzalone resurfaced a few years later to coach the Quad City Mallards for two years before retiring from coaching and becoming an amateur scout for the Calgary Flames . Anzalone remained in that position for two seasons before retiring from professional hockey following the 2012 – 13 season .