Things are, uh changing in the Lakes Valley Conference (LVC). Last season’s co-champion Lakes Area left this summer to join the Oakland Activities Association (OAA). The other half of the ‘24-25 championship, White Lake Lakeland, co-opped with fellow LVC member Milford to form the newly minted Huron Valley Titans. And next season, high school hockey power Livonia Stevenson, along with Livonia United and Farmington United are expected to join the fray in conference expansion.

It’s a volatile time in the conference, with teams coming, going and combining. But what’s been very consistent over the last few years has been Lakeland’s death grip on the top spot. For a fifth straight season, the Eagles earned at least a share of the LVC championship. And by joining forces with Milford for the upcoming season, you may see this program get even stronger. Lakeland prospects Austin Scanlon and Nathan Dell get to play alongside Mustangs top guys Craig Borges and Mikey Yee. Conference foes like South Lyon, Walled Lake United and Fenton-Linden will have their hands full. 

CONFERENCE FAST FACTS:

With just four member programs, the LVC is currently the smallest conference in high school hockey.
All four are co-op programs, but none are classified as Division-I for playoffs.

A South Lyon forward has led the conference in scoring two years in a row.
Nathan Ligi returns after scoring 57 points in 23 games as a junior last season.

White Lake Lakeland has compiled unbeaten streaks of 14-or-more games each of the last three seasons.

Last Season’s Champion: Lakes Area, Lakeland

After winning 22 games last season and winning a share of the LVC championship, Lakes Area United has left the conference. That leaves very little standing in the way of a Lakeland team that’s been atop the standings for five straight seasons. The Eagles are in the midst of a run that’s seen them dominate the LVC while also achieving statewide success. Regular showings in the Top-25 rankings last season, as well as a D-II Final Four appearance in 2024. 

Seniors Nathan Dell and Austin Scanlon have been a part of a lot of that success over the years. Dell is a three-year letterman while Scanlon has been with the program since his freshman year. The dynamic duo combines for more than 120 varsity games and 200-plus career points. The Eagles’ tear atop the conference might not be over yet.

Returning Players to Watch

Nathan Dell, Huron Valley Senior Forward

Led the team in scoring with 21 goals as a junior. Dell has really good instincts and plays with pace. He’s on the smaller side, but it certainly doesn’t impact his ability to play at a high level, proving to be a major contributor in the Michigan Developmental Hockey League (MDHL) for the last three years. 

Nathan Ligi, South Lyon Senior Forward

The three-year senior has 94 career points for South Lyon, and led all LVC skaters in scoring last season. He’s continued to dominate in the Fall as well, leading the 18U Michigan Steel in scoring with 14 goals and 27 points.

Austin Scanlon, Huron Valley Senior Forward

He’s recorded 30-plus points in each of the last three seasons, and eclipsed the 50-point plateau twice. Scanlon will be key to the Titans’ success as a senior, as Lakeland had a 54-7-0 record in games he recorded at least one point — and just a 7-7-1 record in games he did not.

Brady Frelich, Walled Lake Senior Defenseman

A four-year guy for Walled Lake who’s appeared in every game over that span. Frelich led all White Caps defensemen in scoring with six goals and 16 points, producing multi-point games on four separate occasions last season.

Aidan Herrera, South Lyon Senior Defenseman

SLU returns its top five defensemen from a season ago, including Aidan Herrera. He had 10 goals and 28 points as a junior, and the defensive corps as a whole could prove to be South Lyon’s biggest strength moving forward.

Will Bryant, Walled Lake Senior Goalie

All other teams in the conference graduated or lost their No. 1 goalies from a season ago, except Walled Lake. Bryant brings experience — 20 career starts — and a track record with wins over Fenton-Linden and South Lyon last season.

Petey’s Prediction: Huron Valley Titans

They’re the five-time reigning, defending champion of the LVC, and co-opping with Milford might just make Lakeland that much better. Rebranded as Huron Valley, The Titans are going to be a team that goes three lines deep, with plenty of guys who can put the puck in the net. Plus, junior goaltender Ben Johnson could step into a more prominent role following the departure of last season’s starter. If he can stand tall, the Titans may garner more than just conference accolades and attention this winter.

While I expect the Titans to be a heavy favorite, South Lyon does return its top three scorers from a season ago in Ligi, Braden Hillebrand and Aiden Petrovitch. They combined to score 66 of the team’s 122 goals last season, and that continuity could pay dividends heading into their senior years. The schedule is stiff for SLU as well. Perennial powers like Cranbrook, Stevenson, Salem, Lumen Christi and Plymouth are all on the non-con slate. A huge boost to the strength of schedule could prepare South Lyon to upset the favored Titans in conference play. 

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