Box Score
Gustavus 2, Yellowjackets 1
For the Yellowjacket men's hockey team, they entered Saturday's game against a team that was eerily similar to them. Not only do they and Gustavus share the same school colors, but they came in with identical 8-4-2 records, nearly identical goals for and goals against numbers and both were riding winning streaks. For the Gusties, they had won six straight while the Yellowjackets were unbeaten in their last three.
Something had to give.
The Yellowjackets, unfortunately, were the first ones to blink in this staring contest, dropping a tight 2-1 game at Don Roberts Ice Rink in from of 621.
In the opening minutes, the Yellowjackets carried the play but were unable put one on the board early, including on the power play. The Gusties killed off the penalty and took it to the Yellowjackets for the rest of the first period. They broke through at 14:54 when Tyler Schwartz fired a shot from the right circle that beat Drew Strandberg (Thunder Bay, Ontario/Westgate CV&I) high on the short side to make it 1-0. The Yellowjackets were outshot 8-2 in the period.
The Yellowjackets would tie the game early in the second period thanks to a familiar line. Joey Massingham (Duncan, British Columbia/Cowichan Secondary) had the puck on the left wing and threw a rink-wide pass to Kyle Leahy (Fort St. John, British Columbia/North Peace Secondary). Leahy crossed the Gustavus line fed a perfect pass to Pat Dalbec (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) and he made no mistake, beating Gustie goaltender John McLean to the stick side to tie it. Dalbec's 12th of the year came at 3:13. On the second Yellowjacket power play of the game, they had a couple of decent scoring chances, but it was Gustavus who would capitalize. Adam Smyth turned a 2-on-1 into a 2-1 lead when his wrist shot from the left circle beat Strandberg short side at 15:59.
As the third period got rolling, the Yellowjackets played their best hockey of the night. Outshooting the Gusties 20-3, the Yellowjackets bombarded the Gusties in the third and had a handful of scoring chances, but every time McLean was there to make the save and Gusties didn't allow a second chance. Later in the third Ross Ring-Jarvi would rattle one off the post behind Strandberg, the best chance of the third for the Gusties. In the closing minutes, the Yellowjackets would get their fourth power play of the night, but again were shut down. In the final two minutes, the Yellowjackets held the puck in the offensive zone and swarmed the goal, but in the end could not get the equalizer.
Strandberg finished the game with 15 saves, while at the other end McLean made 30 saves.
For the second game in a row the Yellowjackets took only one penalty for two minutes. Gustavus took four penalties for eight minutes. The Yellowjackets were 0-4 on the power play and the Gusties were 0-1.
The Yellowjackets (8-5-2, 3-3-2 NCHA) are now finished with non-conference play and will finish the regular season with ten NCHA contests. That stretch drive begins next weekend when they travel to St. Norbert College for a pair of games. The series opens on Friday, January 13 at 7:05 p.m. The game can be heard live locally on 91.3 FM KUWS, beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 p.m. You can also tune in on the web at www.ifan.tv. Jon Garver will have the call.
