Yellowjackets 3, Norwich 0

After dropping their first game of the 2013 PrimeLink Great Northern ShootOut, it would have been easy for the Yellowjacket men's hockey team to go through the motions in Saturday's Third Place game and accept the fate that has befallen all of the other western teams that have been invited to compete in the tournament - a pair of losses and a long trip back to the central time zone.

Instead, they did the opposite.

For the second time in as many days, the Yellowjackets played a team ranked in the top-five in the nation. Despite being outshot in the game the Yellowjackets carried the play for much of the afternoon, scoring timely goals and shutting down a potent Norwich offense on their way to a 3-0 win at Stafford Ice Arena in Plattsburgh, N.Y.

With the win the Yellowjackets upset the No. 2-ranked team in the country (according to USCHO) and became the western team to win a game at the PrimeLink. Prior to today, westerbn teams compiled an 0-11 record since 2008.

The Yellowjackets came close to opening the scoring early in the first period when a long pass sprung Pat Dalbec (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) on a partial breakaway, but Dalbec's shot hit the goal post. Later in the period, a scrum in front of the Norwich bench resulted in a series of penalties that put the Yellowjackets on a five-minute power play. Seconds later Norwich went down two skaters and the Yellowjackets took advantage of the 5-on-3. Jordan Neduzak (Morden, Manitoba/Morden Collegiate Institute) had the puck on the left wing and moved it into the middle where Dalbec fired from between the circles and beat Cadets' goaltender Matic Marinsek to give the Yellowjackets a 1-0 lead with 90 seconds left in the first period.

The extended Yellowjacket power play carried over into the second period for 1:44 but the Cadets were able to kill it off. They also had a bit more jump in their collective step, outshooting the Yellowjackets 12-6 in the period, but every time they got a scoring chance, Dayn Belfour (Morden, Manitoba/Morden Collegiate) was there to close the door. Playing his best game as a Yellowjacket, Belfour calmly made saves and held on, not giving Norwich and second-chance opportunities and slowing the play down when needed.

It was still a 1-0 game as play entered the second half of the third period. Then with just over seven minutes to play the Yellowjackets gave themselves some breathing room. Belfour started the play with a pass out of his own zone to Michael Rey (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Garden City Collegiate). Rey carried into Norwich territory on the left and centered a pass that went through Thomas Paine (Superior, Wis./Marshall School) right onto the tape of Cody Hotchkin (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld) and the junior made no mistake, lifting a wrist shot over Marinsek's glove hand to give the Yellowjackets a 2-0 edge. It was the third goal of the year for Hotchkin, matching his total from all of last season.

As time ticked down the Cadets pulled Marinsek for the extra attacker, and with just over a minute left the Yellowjackets iced the game, as Dalbec scored into an empty net, his second of the night and fifth of the season, giving the Yellowjackets a 3-0 win.

The win was the third straight on a Saturday for the Yellowjackets, who improved to 4-5-0 on the season.

Belfour earned his first shutout as a Yellowjacket, finishing the game with 27 saves. His record improves to 2-2-0 on the season. Marinsek took the loss for Norwich and is now 4-1-2 on the year.

Norwich took more penalties in the game than the Yellowjackets, finishing with seven penalties for 25 minutes. The Yellowjackets took six penalties for 12 minutes. Norwich went 0-3 on the power play while the Yellowjackets were 1-for-3.

The Yellowjackets will remain on the road for their next game, which will be on Friday, December 6 when they travel to W.H. Hunt Arena in River Falls to take on the Falcons in their first conference game of the season. The puck will drop at 7:00 p.m. and can be heard live locally 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 tune in on the Internet through the iFan Sports Network or Wisconsin Public Radio. Jon Garver will have the call.