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Wisconsin-Superior
Yellowjackets
Cal Miska
Jade Jensen

Men's Hockey

Yellowjacket Offense Explodes in Win Over Stout

Cal Miska scored his first goal of the season Thursday against Stout.
Box Score

Yellowjackets 6, Stout 2

To say that the 2015-16 season has been an offensive struggle for the Yellowjacket men's hockey team would be a minor understatement. Heading into Thursday's game at UW-Stout, the Yellowjackets had scored more than two goals just twice in the past eight games. Coincidentally, it had been eight games since the Yellowjackets last played at UW-Stout. That was a Friday night in December when the Yellowjackets limped to a 6-2 loss.

Thursday night the Yellowjackets discovered their offense, and flipped the script on the Blue Devils in the process. Scoring twice in each period, the Yellowjackets got the eventual game-winning goal early in the second period and cruised to a 6-2 win at the Fannetti Community Center in Menomonie.

The win evened the Yellowjackets' January record at 3-3-0 and also matched their season high for goals.

Individually several Yellowjackets had big games. Freshman defenseman Nik Kosman (Calgary, Alberta/Centennial) had a career high three assists, while junior Jordan Neduzak (Morden, Manitoba/Morden Collegiate Institute) snapped a seven-game goal drought. Team scoring leader Ian Ecklund (Twig, Minn./Proctor) and defenseman-turned-forward Eric Shand (San Dimas, Calif./San Dimas) each had a goal and an assist.

Throughout the season the Yellowjackets have struggled to start quickly. That wasn't the case Thursday as the Yellowjackets took the opening faceoff of the game and immediately began to pressure the offensive zone. They drew first blood at 8:38 of the first when Neduzak banged home his own rebound off a shot from the left circle to give the Yellowjackets the 1-0 lead. Kosman started the play with a long pass from his own zone that sent Neduzak off on the rush.

Stout tied the game less than 90 seconds later. A bad hop off the end boards came out front and Karl Andersen put the loose puck over the left shoulder of Yellowjacket starting goaltender Cory Simons (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge) to tie the game at 10:06 of the first.

Undeterred, the Yellowjackets returned to their aggressive play in the offensive zone and regained the lead before the period ended. Owen Stauber (Hermantown, Minn./Hermantown) jumped deep in the zone and had the puck behind the Stout net. He centered to Cal Miska (Stacy, Minn./Centennial) who was between the circles and Miska's shot beat Stout goaltender Nick Schmit high on the stick side. Miska's first goal of the year gave the Yellowjackets a 2-1 lead after one period.

The Yellowjackets had 1:48 of power play time carry over into the second period, but Stout was up to the task and killed off the penalty. They carred the momentum of the kill into the forecheck and at 2:40 of the period tied the score. This time it was Jordan Stejskal scoring, beating Simons on the stick side with a shot from the left circle to make it 2-2.

But once again the Yellowjackets answered. Immediately following the goal the Yellowjackets again began to apply pressure, and just over two minutes later took the lead for good. Dan Kovar (Bismarck, N.D./St. Mary's Central) had the puck at the blue line and made a perfect pass into the slot to Jimmy Hughes (Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial), and Hughes made no mistake, beating Schmit for his second of the season at 4:45 of the second period to give the Yellowjackets a 3-2 lead. Ecklund also assisted.

Later in the period the Yellowjackets drew a penalty, then a minute later drew another to go on a two-man advantage. Moments into the power play the Yellowjackets capitalized, as Neduzak scored his second of the game and fifth of the year, beating Schmit from the right circle to make it 4-2. Kosman and Jordan Shockley (Duluth, Minn./Marshall School) assisted.

The goal also spelled the end of the night for Schmit, who was lifted in favor of Chase Hollander. Schmit finished the game with 14 saves.

The Yellowjackets blew the game open in the third period. The game went to 5-2 when Kosman centered across the goal mouth from the left corner and Ecklund was there to slid in his eighth goal of the season just 2:44 into the frame. With his points Thursday Ecklund has now picked up at least one point in seven of the last eight games.

Shand closed out the scoring at 9:43 of the third, scoring a shorthanded goal, the first shorthanded marker of the year for the Yellowjackets and his seventh of the season, unassisted to make the final score 6-2.

Simons was making his second start in the last four games and played arguably his best game of the year, finishing with 31 saves to improve to 3-2-0 on the year. At the other end Schmit and Hollander combined to make 24 saves.

What started as a clean game got a little chippy as time went on. The Yellowjackets took seven penalties for 14 minutes, while the Blue Devils took eight for 16 minutes. On the power play the Yellowjackets were 1-for-6, while killing off all five Stout power plays.

The Yellowjackets (6-11-2, 0-2-0 WIAC) return home and re-enter conference play Friday, January 29 when they host these same Blue Devils at Wessman Arena. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m. and it can be heard live on 91.3 FM beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 p.m. If you are outisde the local listening area you can watch or listen to the game online through the iFan Sports Network. Jon Garver will have the call.
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Players Mentioned

Ian Ecklund

#4 Ian Ecklund

F
6' 3"
Sophomore
Jimmy Hughes

#24 Jimmy Hughes

F
5' 8"
Junior
Dan Kovar

#13 Dan Kovar

D
5' 9"
Sophomore
Cal Miska

#28 Cal Miska

F
6' 1"
Sophomore
Jordan Neduzak

#9 Jordan Neduzak

F
5' 11"
Junior
Eric Shand

#5 Eric Shand

D
6' 1"
Junior
Jordan Shockley

#17 Jordan Shockley

F
5' 8"
Junior
Cory Simons

#30 Cory Simons

G
5' 10"
Junior
Owen Stauber

#22 Owen Stauber

D
6' 0"
Junior
Nik Kosman

#6 Nik Kosman

D
5' 11"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Ian Ecklund

#4 Ian Ecklund

6' 3"
Sophomore
F
Jimmy Hughes

#24 Jimmy Hughes

5' 8"
Junior
F
Dan Kovar

#13 Dan Kovar

5' 9"
Sophomore
D
Cal Miska

#28 Cal Miska

6' 1"
Sophomore
F
Jordan Neduzak

#9 Jordan Neduzak

5' 11"
Junior
F
Eric Shand

#5 Eric Shand

6' 1"
Junior
D
Jordan Shockley

#17 Jordan Shockley

5' 8"
Junior
F
Cory Simons

#30 Cory Simons

5' 10"
Junior
G
Owen Stauber

#22 Owen Stauber

6' 0"
Junior
D
Nik Kosman

#6 Nik Kosman

5' 11"
Freshman
D