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University of Wisconsin-Superior Athletics

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Wisconsin-Superior
Yellowjackets
Pat Dalbec
Jed Carlson-Superior Telegram

Men's Hockey

Augsburg crushes Yellowjackets

Pat Dalbec
Box Score

Augsburg 8, Yellowjackets 2
Box Score

The Yellowjackets entered the final weekend of 2012 riding high, having just taken three-of-four points on the road at River Falls and jumping into second place in the NCHA.  They were opening the weekend at home against an opponent in Augsburg College who had struggled throughout the season to score goals and was downright miserable on the power play.  So despite injury and illness ravaging the locker room, they should be able to stay on their roll against the anemic Auggies, you would have thought coming into the game.

You thought wrong.

Augsburg scored early, blew the game open in the second period and blew the Yellowjackets out of the water in the third, scoring four times on the power play and once shorthanded on their way to an 8-2 win at Wessman Arena.

The loss ended the Yellowjacket unbeaten streak at four games.

B.J. McClellan got the scoring started for Augsburg.  After a missed clearing attempt by the Yellowjackets, Landon Olson's point shot was stopped but the rebound was buried by McClellan just 38 seconds in to make it 1-0.  Then, 27 seconds later the Auggies were whistled for a five minute major from checking-from-behind, but the Yellowjacket power play was punchless, finishing the time without a shot on goal.

The Yellowjackets finally broke through with 7:41 to play in the period, evening the game.  Brett Wold (Westlock, Alberta/R.F. Staples) took the long shot from the blue line that Auggie goaltender Justin Lochner stopped, but Marc Fortin (Pottageville, Ontario/King City Secondary) fought his way through traffic to put home his second of the year and tie it.  Michael Orosey also picked up an assist on the play, and the teams went to the locker room tied 1-1.

Augsburg controlled the play early in the first period, and they matched that with an equally dominating opening of the second.  They fired shots relentlessly at Yellowjacket netminder Drew Strandberg (Thunder Bay, Ontario/Westgate CV&I), who continued to stand tall, but it was only a matter of time before the levee broke.  McClellan regained the lead for the Auggies, scoring his second of the game on the power play at 7:54 to make it 2-1.  The Auggies were firing at 5.6% on the man advantage coming into the game, with two goals on 36 opportunities, but McClellan's goal changed that and the power play was off and running.

The eventual game-winning goal came when Ben McClellan took a shot from the right side that Strandberg got a piece of, but it went up his shoulder and down his back before crossing the line to make it 3-1 at 15:15.  Later Derek Loisel tipped a shot from the blue line that Strandberg again got a piece of, but he didn't get enough and it snuck over the goal line to make it 4-1 at 17:28.

Minutes later Tanner Dion (Hardisty, Alberta/Central Sedgewick) was called for checking-from-behind and the Auggies got the five-minute power play and they took advantage.  Olson received a pass between the circles and snapped a shot past Strandberg to make it 5-1 with 1:58 to play in the second period.  The power play goal signalled the end of the night for Strandberg, who finished the game allowing five goals on 19 shots.  He was relieved by Ryan Pinoniemi (Delano, Minn./Delano).

In the third the Auggies continued to pour it on.  While on their second five-minute power play of the game, Lucas Hendrickson let a blast go from the blue line that eluded Pinoniemi and it was 6-1 with 13:03 to play.  Ben McClellan's second of the game on the same power play made it 7-1 with 12:02 to play, as he found a rebound to the left of the goal and banged it home.

The Yellowjackets stopped the bleeding at 10:35 of the period when Kyle Leahy (Fort St. John, British Columbia/North Peace Secondary) centered to Pat Dalbec (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior), who had his initial shot stopped.  Dalbec got his own rebound and ripped a wrist shot past Lochner to make it 7-2.  Dalbec's team-leading eighth goal of the season was also assisted by Joey Massingham (Duncan, British Columbia/Cowichan Secondary) and stretched his scoring streak to 12 games.

Augsburg closed out the scoring just over two minutes later when Superior-native Thomas Paine picked up a loose puck behind the Yellowjacket net while shorthanded and, after having his initial shot stopped, put a shot up over Pinoniemi's shoulder to make it 8-2.

For just the second time this season the Yellowjackets were outshot in a game, as the Auggies held the advantage 31-20.  After coming on in relief, Pinoniemi finished the game eight saves.  Lochner made 18 saves in the win.

The Yellowjackets took 12 penalties in the game for 54 minutes, while Augsburg took five for 21 minutes.  The Yellowjackets went 0-4 on the power play and gave up the shorthanded goal, while Augsburg went 4-8 with the man advantage.

Ben McClellan finished the game with five points for the Auggies (2 goals, 3 assists), while Zach Dick, Chris Student, B.J. McClellan and Mack Ohnstad all had two points.

The Yellowjackets (8-3-1, 5-2-1 NCHA) will look to rebound and close out the first half of the season on a positive note on Saturday, December 8 when they travel to St. Peter, Minn. to take on Gustavus Adolphus College.  Game time from Lund Arena is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and can be heard live on 91.3 FM KUWS beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 p.m.  If you are outside the local listening area you can listen online through the iFan Sports Network.  Jon Garver will have the call.
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