Michael Lause Announced as 18U AA Head Coach for 2025-26 Season

Michael Lause is a current Level 4 USA Hockey coach. In addition to coaching, he continues to work as a USA Hockey Level 3 official, a seminar instructor for USA Hockey officials, and an instruction liaison for the OHSAA, training new ice hockey officials.

Michael began playing hockey as a child in Illinois, participating in teams such as Kankakee Elks, Joliet Jaguars, HF Cardinals, and St. Jude Knights throughout the Chicago and Central Illinois areas. He played high school hockey with the Kankakee Irish, Joliet Jaguar Midget team, and Lake County (IN) Kings. Michael attended Bowling Green State University, where he played for the club team (now ACHA).

Upon graduating from Bowling Green with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management, Michael began coaching the Bowling Green Youth Hockey Mite Travel team in the Little Caesars Hockey League and at the house level for the Bowling Green Youth Hockey Association. He also worked in the IP and Learn to Play programs at Troy Youth Hockey in Ohio for four years, focusing on LTP and Mite levels.

Following this, Michael joined the Dayton Stealth as a Squirt House coach and later as a PeeWee Travel coach in the Buckeye Travel League. He then moved to Findlay Youth Hockey, serving as an assistant coach for both the Pee Wee and Bantam teams for three years. In his final year as an assistant, Michael became the Head Coach of the Fort Wayne Renegades in the ISHSHA Prep league during their inaugural year.

Michael then took on the roles of Director of Coaching and High School JV Head Coach with Dayton IceHounds Youth Hockey for two seasons. He subsequently joined the staff of the SISU Thunderbirds 18U team as an assistant coach for the past two seasons.

Michael lives in Maria Stein with his wife Jennifer, whom he married in 1999. They have three children: Dylan (24), Drew (18, a 4-year Thunderbird), and Heidi (12).