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Wisconsin-Superior
Yellowjackets
Alex Thompson
Jade Jensen

Men's Hockey

Yellowjackets Win, Snap Long Losing Streak

Alex Thompson scored the game winner for the Yellowjackets Friday.
Box Score

Yellowjackets 2, Stout 1

To paraphrase Nuke Laloosh from the epic baseball film Bull Durham: I love winnin'. You know what I'm sayin'? It's, like, better than losin'.

That must be the feeling that the Yellowjacket men's hockey team is experiencing.

Friday night at UW-Stout the Yellowjackets scored twice in the third period to defeat the Blue Devils 2-1 at Dunn County Arena. The victory, the first for the Yellowjackets since January 9, brings to an end a nine-game losing streak, marking the longest winless stretch by a Yellowjacket team since 1985-86.

The Yellowjackets came out strong on Friday with several good scoring chances in the early going, but they were unable to convert. Stout drew first blood when the Yellowjackets missed a clearing attempt and a shot came in from the blue line. Yellowjacket goaltender Bryce Fink (Tacoma, Wash./Keystone) made the initial save, but the rebound sat at the foot of the goal crease and Jordan Tredinnick picked it up and lifted a backhand over Fink's glove to give the Blue Devils a 1-0 lead at 12:18 of the period.

In the second the Yellowjackets continued to press, only to be turned away time and again. Midway through the frame Cody Hotchkin (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld) had a great chance, getting a rebound to the left of a wide-open net, only to have his shot go off the goal post and wide. The score remained 1-0.

Finally the Yellowjackets broke through. With 12:57 to go in regulation Anton Svensson (Soldertalje, Sweden/Igelstavikens Gymnasium) found an open Jordan Neduzak (Morden, Manitoba/Morden Collegiate Institute) in the high slot. Neduzak deked around a defender and put a shot between the pads of Stout goaltender Spencer Viele to tie the game.

Minutes later the Yellowjackets took the lead. Matt Audette (Thief River Falls, Minn./Lincoln) held the Stout zone at the left point and fed a pass to Svensson. His shot was stopped but Alex Thompson (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld) drove the net and poked the rebound home for his second of the year, giving the Yellowjackets a 2-1 lead. The eventual game-winning goal came at 13:49 of the period.

How rare has it been of late for the Yellowjackets to lead in the third? You have to go back to the January 9 win over Concordia University Wisconsin to find the last occurance. In fact, during the nine-game losing streak the Yellowjackets never had a lead this late in the game.

Stout dialed up the pressure following the Thompson goal, only to see the Yellowjacket defense bend but not break. The best opportunity for the Blue Devils came with about five minutes to play. A 2-on-1 developed in the neutral zone, but on the play Fink quickly moved from his left to his right to stonewall Stout's Hunter Scott, preserving the one-goal lead.

Then late, a missed clearing attempt gave the Blue Devils a shot from the high slot, but Neduzak sprawled out to block it and the carom ended up in the neutral zone.

Time ran short for the Blue Devils, and a last-second flurry was denied by the defense, preserving the win for the Yellowjackets.

Fink earned just his second win of the season, improving to 2-5-0 for the year. He finished the night with 24 saves. At the other end Viele made 31 stops for the Blue Devils.

The Yellowjackets took five penalties for 10 minutes, while Stout took four penalties for 11 minutes. The Yellowjackets were 0-for-3 on the power play and Stout was scoreless in two opportunities.

The victory also provided Yellowjacket Head Coach Dan Stauber with a milestone. The win was the 248th of his career, tying him with Steve Nelson for the most in school history.

The Yellowjackets (8-16-0, 1-10-0 WIAC) will close out the regular season Saturday, February 21 on the road at UW-Stevens Point. The opening faceoff from K.B. Willett Arena is set for 7:00 p.m. and can be heard live on 91.3 FM in Superior, beginning with the pre-game show following the delayed broadcast of the Yellowjacket women's basketball game. 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

Matt Audette

#3 Matt Audette

D
5' 10"
Sophomore
Cody Hotchkin

#20 Cody Hotchkin

F
5' 9"
Senior
Jordan Neduzak

#9 Jordan Neduzak

F
5' 11"
Sophomore
Anton Svensson

#11 Anton Svensson

F
5' 8"
Sophomore
Bryce Fink

#1 Bryce Fink

G
5' 8"
Freshman
Alex Thompson

#15 Alex Thompson

F
6' 0"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Matt Audette

#3 Matt Audette

5' 10"
Sophomore
D
Cody Hotchkin

#20 Cody Hotchkin

5' 9"
Senior
F
Jordan Neduzak

#9 Jordan Neduzak

5' 11"
Sophomore
F
Anton Svensson

#11 Anton Svensson

5' 8"
Sophomore
F
Bryce Fink

#1 Bryce Fink

5' 8"
Freshman
G
Alex Thompson

#15 Alex Thompson

6' 0"
Freshman
F