Yellowjackets 3, St. Olaf 2

SUPERIOR, Wis. (January 6, 2018) - Simply stated, the Yellowjacket women's hockey team is on a roll. How much of a roll, you might ask? You have to go back nearly seven weeks to find the last time the Yellowjackets didn't hang a result in the left-hand column.

Entering play Saturday the Yellowjackets had won five straight games. Standing in the way of stretching the streak to an even half-dozen was St. Olaf, a program the Yellowjackets have only lost to once in history.

It wasn't easy, but in the end the Yellowjackets got the job done. After falling behind early the Yellowjackets scored three straight goals and held on for a 3-2 win over the Oles, to improve to 10-4-0 overall on the year. 

The Yellowjackets found themselves in unfamiliar territory early. Throughout 2017-18 the Yellowjackets had only trailed for 113:50, but on this day the Oles drew first blood, forcing the Yellowjackets to play from behind. Johanna Glaaser scored for St. Olaf, poking a puck in a goal-mouth scramble underneath Yellowjacket goaltender Sky Brown (Lenore, Man./Virden Collegiate Institute) just 1:47 into the game.

It stayed that way for most of the period, but before the final horn the Yellowjackets evened the score. with 1:51 to play in the opening period Lexie Weiss (Sleepy Eye, Minn./New Ulm) took a pass at the right post and put home her second goal of the year to make it a 1-1 game. Emily Heid (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) and Mandy Tomlinson (Waupaca, Wis./Waupaca) assisted.

In the second period the Yellowjackets pulled away, getting a pair of goals just 2:27 apart. Kaleigh Martinson (Dayton, Minn./Champlin Park) scored unassisted at 14:20 to give the Yellowjackets the lead for good. Then at 16:27 Amber Heidenreich (Phillips, Wis./Hayward) scored the eventual game-winning goal as the Yellowjackets pulled ahead 3-1.

St. Olaf would get one back, converting on a power play at 17:55 of the second period, cutting the Yellowjacket lead to 3-2 after 40 minutes.

In the third period, the Yellowjackets put the pedal down, and despite not scoring, the issue was never in doubt. The Yellowjackets outshot the Oles 17-4 in the final frame, including putting three shots on the board in the final minute when St. Olaf wanted to pull its goaltender, to salt away the victory.

Brown earned the victory in goal for the Yellowjackets, making 19 saves. At the other end Sam Klemann finished the day with 39 saves for St. Olaf.

Up Next: The Yellowjackets will continue their homestand Wednesday, January 10 when they host Twin Ports rival St. Scholastica at Wessman Arena. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.