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Wisconsin-Superior
Yellowjackets
Drew Strandberg
Jed Carlson-Superior Telegram

Men's Hockey

Yellowjackets finally find win column

Drew Strandberg stopped all 20 shots he faced on Saturday night, earning his fourth career shutout with a 4-0 win at Hamline.
Box Score

Yellowjackets 4, Hamline 0

That sound you heard coming from St. Paul, Minn. on Saturday evening was the collective sigh of relief coming from the Yellowjacket men's hockey locker room.

After suffering through another difficult loss on Friday at Saint Mary's, the Yellowjackets bounced back on Saturday night, scoring four times with the man advantage to roll past Hamline 4-0.

With the win the Yellowjackets snapped a three-game losing streak to start the season, snapped a six-game losing streak dating back to last season, snapped a ten-game winless streak dating back to last season and missed having the program's first 0-4 start since 1971-72.

The power play has been a struggle for the Yellowjackets so far in 2013-14, as they entered the game with a success rate of 5.9 percent, scoring just once in 17 tries. After Saturday's 4-for-6 effort, however, the Yellowjackets now sit with a much more respectable 21.7 percent success rate with the man advantage. And the penalty kill was once again perfect, and has killed off every shorthanded opportunity thrown at it on the year.

But the penalty kill had to work for it more than in previous games.

The penalty killing got started early, as Sam Prpich (Okotoks, Alberta/Holy Trinity Academy) was called for checking from behind just two minutes into the game. The Yellowjackets killed it off, and then took advantage of their own power play.

With time winding down, Cody Hotchkin (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld) moved the puck to Joey Massingham (Duncan, British Columbia/Cowichan Secondary), who cut into the slot and let a shot go that was deflected by Thomas Paine (Superior, Wis./Marshall School), giving the Yellowjackets a 1-0 lead at 11:56 of the period.

The power play capitalized again late in the period.

The Yellowjackets won a face-off with six seconds to play in the period, and with the puck in the right wing corner, Massingham fed a perfect pass to Hotchkin in the slot, and he lifted a backhand over Pipers goaltender John Sellie-Hanson to make it 2-0 with 0.6 seconds left in the period.

In the second period the Yellowjackets made it a perfect 3-for-3 on the power play. Pat Dalbec (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) had the puck in Hamline territory on the right wing, moved it to the right point Eric Shand (San Dimas, Calif./San Dimas), who quickly slid it to Derek Stauber (Duluth, Minn./Marshall School) at the left point. Stauber moved into the left circle and put a pass right on the stick of Dalbec who was driving the net, and he tapped in his first of the season at 8:29 of the frame to stretch the lead to 3-0.

The Yellowjackets closed out the scoring on the man advantage in the third period. Jordan Shockley (Duluth, Minn./Marshall School) found a loose puck between the circles in the Hamline zone and buried a wrist shot for his second goal of the season to make it a 4-0 game. Stauber and Jordan Neduzak (Morden, Manitoba/Morden Collegiate Institute) assisted on the play.

As time was winding down in the period the Yellowjackets were called for their second five-minute major of the game. This time it was Paine being called for checking from behind. With an already short bench, the penalty killing unit was forced to dig deep as Hamline pressed, but they were unable to break through and the Yellowjackets preserved the win.

Starter Drew Strandberg (Thunder Bay, Ontario/Westgate CV&I) was rewarded for his fine play early in the season with some desperately needed offensive support. He finished the night with 20 saves to pick up his first win and first shutout of the year. It was the fourth shutout of Strandberg's career. At the other end, Sellie-Hanson made 25 saves for Hamline and fell to 0-2-0 on the year.

The Yellowjackets took seven penalties for 36 minutes in the game, while Hamline was whistled six times for 12 minutes. The Pipers were 0-for-5 on the power play.

The Yellowjackets (1-3-0, 0-0-0 WIAC) will be back home for a rare mid-week contest on Tuesday, November 19 when they host Northland College at Wessman Arena. Game time is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and can be heard live on 91.3 FM KUWS beginning at 7:00 p.m. If you are outside the local listening area you can tune in online through the iFan Sports Network or through Wisconsin Public Radio. You can also watch the pay-per-view webcast of the game through UW-Superior's online content provider, AmericaOne. Jon Garver will have the call.
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