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Wisconsin-Superior
Yellowjackets
James Hughes
Jade Jensen

Men's Hockey

Third Period Goals Sink Yellowjackets

Jimmy Hughes
Box Score

Stevens Point 4, Yellowjackets 2

The 2014-15 campaign has been a tough one for the Yellowjacket men's hockey team. The young club has had its share of peaks and valleys and on Friday, they entered their game with UW-Stevens Point in the midst of one of those valleys, as they had dropped three in a row. Snapping that losing skid would be no easy task, as the Pointers entered the game as the No. 6 ranked team in the nation and presented arguably the toughest test of the season for the Yellowjackets.

After two periods the game was tied, but early in the third period Stevens Point scored two power play goals during a Yellowjacket five minute major. Those two goals would make the difference, as the Pointers earned the 4-2 win Friday night at Wessman Arena.

There were a flurry of penalties called in the opening minutes of the third period. Just 22 seconds into the period the Yellowjackets went on the power play. The man advantage lasted for all of 29 seconds when Tanner Dion (Hardisty, Alberta/Central Sedgewick) was called for cross checking, sending the teams into four-on-four play. That lasted for just 43 seconds. At the 1:34 mark of the period Jordan Neduzak (Morden, Manitoba/Morden Collegiate Institute) and Stevens Point's Garrett Ladd collided in the neutral zone, connecting knee-on-knee. Ladd went down writhing in pain, and after several minutes was helped from the ice and left the game with an apparent knee injury. Neduzak, meanwhile, was assessed a five minute major for kneeing and issued a game misconduct. The Pointers took advantage of the penalty time, scoring twice in 1:19 to pull away.

Kyle Sharkey scored the eventual game-winning goal with a snap shot from the right circle that beat Yellowjacket goaltender Bryce Fink (Tacoma, Wash./Keystone) high on the glove side to make it a 3-2 game at 3:39 of the period. At 4:58 they added insurance, as Joe Kalisz scored in a similar fashion, wiring a wrist shot over Fink's glove from the right circle for his team-leading 12th goal of the year, giving the Pointers the two goal lead.

Early on however, it was the Yellowjackets who were getting the chances.

Off the opening face-off Neduzak cranked a shot from the right circle, forcing Pointer goaltender Brandon Jaeger to make an early key save. Minutes later Anton Svensson (Soldertalje, Sweden/Igelstavikens Gymnasium) found himself in on the breakaway, but Jaeger turned away the backhand. Still in the first period, Neduzak gave a perfect lead pass to Svensson that sent him in on his second breaway of the game, but Jaeger again made the save, this time tipping the puck in the air and having it land on top of the net, keeping the game scoreless.

The Yellowjackets finally broke the scoreless tie at 12:44 of the period. Ian Ecklund (Twig, Minn./Proctor) got the puck in the high slot and his wrist shot fooled Jaeger, beating him high on the glove side to give the Yellowjackets a 1-0 lead. It was Ecklund's fifth goal of the season. Connor Faupel (Rochester, Minn./Century) and Patrick Kinkopf (Lake Forest Park, Wash./Gilmour Academy) assisted.

Early in the second period the Pointers tied it. The Yellowjacket defense lost track of Justin Barber to the left of the goal, and inevitably the puck found him. Barber slid a shot past Fink for his first goal of the year at 3:52. Stevens Point broke the tie at 14:46 of the second, scoring shorthanded. Kevin Gibson started the play in his own zone, carrying through center ice into Yellowjacket territory, where he was met by a pair of Yellowjacket defenders. Gibson lost the puck, but nobody in a white jersey picked it up and Lawrence Cornellier hustled into the play and chipped a backhand over Fink to make it 2-1.

Before the period was over, however, the Yellowjackets evened things. This time it was James Hughes (Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial) doing the honors, as he skated straight into the Stevens Point zone, eluded a defender and pushed a shot between Jaeger's pads for his fourth of the season to make it a 2-2 game. Jordan Shockley (Duluth, Minn./Marshall School) had the lone assist on the play.

After the Pointers went ahead by two in the third, the Yellowjackets tried, but ultimately were unable to mount any sort of offensive, and in the end dropped their fourth game in a row.

Fink, making his first appearance since December 6 had a good night in goal, finishing with 30 saves. At the other end Jaeger made 25 stops.

The Yellowjackets took six penalties in the game for 23 minutes while the Pointers took just three for six minutes. The Yellowjackets were scoreless in three power play chances, while Stevens Point had two power play goals in seven chances.

The Yellowjackets (7-11-0, 0-5-0 WIAC) and the Pointers will meet again Saturday night at Wessman Arena. Game time is set 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

Tanner Dion

#12 Tanner Dion

F
6' 1"
Senior
Connor Faupel

#7 Connor Faupel

D
6' 1"
Sophomore
Jimmy Hughes

#24 Jimmy Hughes

F
5' 8"
Sophomore
Patrick Kinkopf

#21 Patrick Kinkopf

D
6' 1"
Junior
Jordan Neduzak

#9 Jordan Neduzak

F
5' 11"
Sophomore
Jordan Shockley

#17 Jordan Shockley

F
5' 8"
Sophomore
Anton Svensson

#11 Anton Svensson

F
5' 8"
Sophomore
Bryce Fink

#1 Bryce Fink

G
5' 8"
Freshman
Ian Ecklund

#4 Ian Ecklund

F
6' 3"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Tanner Dion

#12 Tanner Dion

6' 1"
Senior
F
Connor Faupel

#7 Connor Faupel

6' 1"
Sophomore
D
Jimmy Hughes

#24 Jimmy Hughes

5' 8"
Sophomore
F
Patrick Kinkopf

#21 Patrick Kinkopf

6' 1"
Junior
D
Jordan Neduzak

#9 Jordan Neduzak

5' 11"
Sophomore
F
Jordan Shockley

#17 Jordan Shockley

5' 8"
Sophomore
F
Anton Svensson

#11 Anton Svensson

5' 8"
Sophomore
F
Bryce Fink

#1 Bryce Fink

5' 8"
Freshman
G
Ian Ecklund

#4 Ian Ecklund

6' 3"
Freshman
F