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Jade Jensen

Men's Hockey

Four Goal Second Period Lifts Yellowjackets

The Yellowjackets celebrate Tanner Dion's second goal of the game Friday.
Box Score

Yellowjackets 6, Aurora 2

A year ago, the Yellowjacket men's hockey team had a large crowd on hand to witness the season opener. Unfortunately, Lady Luck didn't smile on the Yellowjackets and they were downed by St. John's. The same thing would happen the following night versus Concordia, and the Friday after that on the road at Saint Mary's, before the team finally got on track in the fourth game with a win at Hamline.

Fast forward to 2014-15, and the Yellowjackets didn't have to wait as long to earn that first "W."

Paced by a four-goal second period, the Yellowjackets had nine different players record at least one point in the game as they took down the Aurora University Spartans 6-2 Friday at Wessman Arena.

Aurora is making its first foray into varsity college hockey, having played several years at the AHCA club level. They will be a member of the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association.

While the offense was filling the net at one end, sophomore goaltender Zach Thompson (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld) was doing his part at the other. In his first collegiate start after making two relief appearances in 2013-14, Thompson made 21 saves to help the Yellowjackets (1-0-0, 0-0-0 WIAC) start the new season in style.

Early in the first period the Yellowjackets came out firing on all cylinders and applied tremendous pressure in the offensive zone. At the 4:01 mark they were rewarded. Freshman Ian Ecklund (Twig, Minn./Proctor) won the faceoff in the left circle, pulling it back to Dylan Nelson (Clearwater, Minn./Annandale) whose shot was tipped home by Tanner Dion (Hardisty, Alberta/Central Sedgewick) to get the Yellowjackets started.

That line, which was the best unit of the night for the Yellowjackets, struck again late in the frame. This time, Dion found a loose puck near the Aurora goal, and he poked home his second of the game at 17:12 to make it a 2-0 game. James Hughes (Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial) and Cody Hotchkin (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld) assisted.

The Yellowjackets had a power play carry over into the second period and it didn't take long for them to capitalize. Just 12 second in, Jordan Neduzak (Morden, Manitoba/Morden Collegiate Institute) entered Aurora territory and, in the right circle, fed a perfect past to Hughes, who quickly shifted the puck to his backhand and slid it under Spartan goaltender Kyle Weiner to push the advantage to three.

But as quickly as the three-goal lead arrived, it vanished. A neutral zone turnover sent the Spartans back toward the Yellowjacket goal and Mike Mikulan beat Thompson from the foot of the goal crease to get Aurora on the board. The Yellowjackets had an answer shortly after, however. David Dalbec (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) had the puck on the left board in the Aurora zone and sent it to Cal Miska (Stacy, Minn./Centennial) on the goal line. Miska took one step toward the net and put a shot low on goal that snuck underneath Weiner, giving the Yellowjackets a 4-1 lead.

Five minutes later the lead bulged to 5-1 on Yellowjackets' second power play marker of the game. Thomas Paine (Superior, Wis./Marshall School) fired the initial shot from the right circle that Jake Johnson (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) tipped past Weiner for his first collegiate goal. Wes Judnick (Virginia, Minn./Virginia) also assisted.

Before the second period ended the Yellowjackets added one more. Neduzak, this time from the left side, sent a perfect pass to a streaking Hotchkin in the slot, and he lifted a wrist shot over the glove of Weiner to put the Yellowjackets up five, 6-1. Judnick earned his second assist of the night on the play.

Aurora would score the only goal of the third period, when Rihards Marenis took the puck off a faceoff and wired a shot from between the circles over Thompson's glove for his first of the year, cutting the lead to 6-2.

The Yellowjackets outshot Aurora 44-23 for the game, with Weiner making 38 saves in the loss. On the power play the Yellowjackets went 2-of-5 while the Spartans went 1-of-2.

The same two teams will play the second game of the weekend series Saturday night. Game time from Wessman Arena is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and can be heard live locally on 91.3 FM. If you are outside the local listening area you can tune in online through the iFan Sports Network. Jon Garver will have the call.
 
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Players Mentioned

David Dalbec

#16 David Dalbec

D
6' 1"
Sophomore
Tanner Dion

#12 Tanner Dion

F
6' 1"
Senior
Cody Hotchkin

#20 Cody Hotchkin

F
5' 9"
Senior
Jimmy Hughes

#24 Jimmy Hughes

F
5' 8"
Sophomore
Wes Judnick

#8 Wes Judnick

D
6' 3"
Junior
Jordan Neduzak

#9 Jordan Neduzak

F
5' 11"
Sophomore
Tom Paine

#19 Tom Paine

F
6' 0"
Senior
Zach Thompson

#35 Zach Thompson

G
5' 11"
Sophomore
Cal Miska

#28 Cal Miska

F
6' 1"
Freshman
Ian Ecklund

#4 Ian Ecklund

F
6' 3"
Freshman
Dylan Nelson

#18 Dylan Nelson

D
5' 11"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

David Dalbec

#16 David Dalbec

6' 1"
Sophomore
D
Tanner Dion

#12 Tanner Dion

6' 1"
Senior
F
Cody Hotchkin

#20 Cody Hotchkin

5' 9"
Senior
F
Jimmy Hughes

#24 Jimmy Hughes

5' 8"
Sophomore
F
Wes Judnick

#8 Wes Judnick

6' 3"
Junior
D
Jordan Neduzak

#9 Jordan Neduzak

5' 11"
Sophomore
F
Tom Paine

#19 Tom Paine

6' 0"
Senior
F
Zach Thompson

#35 Zach Thompson

5' 11"
Sophomore
G
Cal Miska

#28 Cal Miska

6' 1"
Freshman
F
Ian Ecklund

#4 Ian Ecklund

6' 3"
Freshman
F
Dylan Nelson

#18 Dylan Nelson

5' 11"
Freshman
D