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University of Wisconsin-Superior Athletics

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Wisconsin-Superior
Yellowjackets
Kyle Leahy
Jed Carlson-Superior Telegram

Men's Hockey

Yellowjackets complete sweep of Pointers

Kyle Leahy
Box Score

Yellowjackets 4, Stevens Point 2
Box Score

For the majority of the 2011-12 season, the Yellowjacket power play could be termed anemic, which dictionary.com defines as lacking power, vigor, vitality or colorfulness; listless; weak.  And that was putting it mildly.  For the year the Yellowjackets went 15-for-92 with the man advantage, a 16.3 per-cent clip.  Not bad, but it took a late surge to get them to that level.

Conference play was even less friendly, as the Yellowjackets fired at 12.9 per-cent, going 8-for-62.

Anemic.

If the first six games of the 2012-13 season are any indication, the anemia has been cured.  As the Yellowjackets near the quarter pole of the season, they have already scored eight power play goals and are firing at 23.5 per-cent efficiency.  In conference play, they are half way to their power play goal total from a year ago, and they're just four games in.

After scoring once on the power play on Friday, the unit came through with a pair of goals on Saturday as the Yellowjackets stretched their winning streak to five games with a 4-2 win over UW-Stevens Point at Wessman Arena.

The Yellowjacket power play has scored at least once in four of the five games this season.  But as good as the power play was on Saturday, it was its special teams counterpart, the penalty kill, that should get the largest kudos for the win.

With 5:26 to play in the third period and the Yellowjackets leading by a goal, Tanner Dion (Hardisty, Alberta/Central Sedgewick) was assessed a five-minute major for checking from behind, meaning the Yellowjackets would need their best penalty killing effort of the year to hold onto the thinnest of leads.

The unit came through in grand style.  Aside from a Kevin Gibson shot that glanced off the post behind Drew Strandberg (Thunder Bay, Ontario/Westgate CV&I), the Pointers were left flummoxed during the five minutes and didn't really generate any other strong scoring chances.  The Yellowjackets put an exclamation point on the game when, after killing off the major Pat Dalbec (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) was credited with an empty-net goal, icing the game and assuring the Yellowjackets of their second straight weekend sweep.

The Yellowjackets opened the scoring early.  Marc Fortin (Pottageville, Ontario/King City Secondary) swatted at a loose puck near the Stevens Point goal that apparently had eyes, as it found its way past Pointer goaltender Brandon Jaeger to make it 1-0 just 5:01 into the game.  Cody Hotchkin (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld) and Andy Singerhouse (Hudson, Wis./Hill-Murray) assisted on the play.

It went to 2-0 early in the second period.  While on a 4-on-3 power play, Dalbec had the puck in the left circle and he fed Jeff Forsythe (Campbell River, British Columbia/Timberline Secondary) in the high slot, who let a one-timer go that beat Jaeger up high for his first goal of the year at 2:34 of the middle frame.  The Pointers broke through at 11:36 when Jerry Freismuth intercepted a clearing attempt in the left circle, and his shot beat Strandberg on the short side to make it 2-1. 

A minute later the Yellowjackets got that goal back, when Kyle Leahy (Fort St. John, British Columbia/North Peace Secondary) tipped a Forsythe point shot past Jaeger for his third goal of the year, reinstating the two-goal lead.  But the Pointers would shave the margin back down to one before the end of the period when Evan Dixon pounced on a rebound near the goal and scored his first of the year, making it 3-2 after two.

In the third the Yellowjackets and Pointers traded chances, but neither was able to add to their goal total.  With the Yellowjackets having killed off the major penalty, the Pointers continued to press in the final minute and pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker.  Joey Massingham (Duncan, British Columbia/Cowichan Secondary) took the puck on the left wing in his own zone and cleared to center.  Dalbec won the foot race to the loose puck and cut to the net, but was taken down before he could get a shot away.  The call on the ice was to be a penalty on the Pointers, but by rule when a player on a breakaway toward an empty net is taken down he is awarded an automatic goal.  Thus Dalbec was credited with an unassisted, empty-net goal with four seconds to play to make the final score 4-2.

Strandberg got the win for the Yellowjackets, improving to 3-0-0 on the year.  He finished the game with 17 saves.  At the other end Jaeger was tagged with the loss.  He finished with 20 saves.

The Yellowjackets took 11 penalties for 33 minutes, while the Pointers were whistled seven times for 14 minutes.  The Yellowjackets went 2-for-3 on the power play, while the Pointers were 0-for-6, including going scoreless on the five minute major.

The Yellowjackets (5-1-0, 3-1-0 NCHA) return to the road on Friday, November 16 when they will play at UW-Stout.  Game time from Dunn County Arena is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and the game can be heard live locally on 91.3 FM KUWS, beginning with the pre-game show at 7:15 p.m.  If you are outside the local listening area you can tune into the free audio stream of the broadcast provided by the iFan Sports Network.  Jon Garver will once again be on the call.
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