UW-Eau Claire 7, UW-Superior 3
 
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (February 9, 2018) - The Yellowjackets and UW-Eau Claire both entered Friday's game with a lot on the line. The both teams were jockeying for playoff positioning – Eau Claire in a battle for first place in the WIAC and the Yellowjackets hoping to move into third place and have a bye in the first round of the WIAC playoffs.
 
After the proceedings at the Hobbs Ice Arena, the Blugolds are alive and well in their quest for the top spot in the WIAC, while the Yellowjackets (9-14-2, 2-5-1 WIAC) know they will not have any down time when the playoffs begin next weekend.
 
Eau Claire scored early and often on the way to a 7-3 win over the Yellowjackets Friday night.
 
The Blugolds started the scoring just 1:43 into the game, converting on a 2-on-1 to make it 1-0. The Yellowjackets had an answer, however, as Troy York (Plano, Texas/Plano West) scored his sixth goal of the year, wiring a shot from the left circle over the glove of Eau Claire goaltender Zach Dyment to even the score just 1:07 after Eau Claire took the lead. Dylan Nelson (Clearwater, Minn./Annandale) and Aidan Salerno (Long Beach, N.Y./Avon Old Farms) assisted.

Eau Claire took the lead for good with a goal in the final minute of the first period, then added two more goals in a dominant second period to take a commanding 4-1 lead over the Yellowjackets after 40 minutes.
 
The Blugolds kept pouring it on early in the third, converting a power play chance just 24 seconds in. The Yellowjackets got on goal back at 8:45 of the period when Ian Ecklund (Twig, Minn./Proctor) scored an unassisted goal from in tight. It was his team-leading 16th goal of the season.
 
Eau Claire answered that goal with two more of their own, scoring twice in just over two minutes to push the lead to 7-2. Then with 4:20 left in the third period the Yellowjackets closed out the scoring when Ecklund picked up his second of the night and 17th of the year on the power play, ripping a shot from the left circle past Dyment to make the final 7-3.
 
Cole Skinner (Lunenberg, N.S./Parkview Education Centre) was a busy man in net for the Yellowjackets, as he was under siege for most of the night. In a phenomenal effort he finished with 48 saves, including 22 in the second period. His record on the year drops to 8-9-2.
 
The game was a penalty-filled contest, with the teams combining for 23 penalties and 70 penalty minutes. The Yellowjackets went 1-for-7 on the power play, while Eau Claire scored three power play goals in seven chances.
 
Up Next: The Yellowjackets will host UW-River Falls in the first round of the WIAC playoffs Friday, February 16 and Saturday, February 17. Game times both nights from Wessman Arena will be 7:05 p.m.