Yellowjackets 5, Bethany Lutheran 0
 
MANKATO, Minn.: After surviving a nail-biter against Northwestern Saturday, a match where the Yellowjackets needed an overtime goal from Eric Watson (Thunder Bay, Ontario/Hammarskjold) to get the victory, you couldn't blame the team for having an emotional letdown, or for wanting its next match to feature fewer tense moments.
 
Wednesday at Bethany Lutheran the Yellowjackets got both – no letdown and a lot less tension.
 
James Bruce (Gladstone, Mich./Gladstone) made sure of it.
 
The junior from Gladstone, Mich. scored three times Wednesday to help the Yellowjackets keep it flowing with a 5-0 whitewashing of Bethany Lutheran in Mankato, Minn., pushing the team's unbeaten streak to eight matches (7-0-1).
 
Bruce now sits atop the U.M.A.C. scoring chart with seven goals, and he's tied for second in points-per-match, averaging 1.5. As a team the Yellowjackets have now scored 27 goals, making them the highest scoring team in the conference.
 
The Yellowjackets opened the scoring in the 20^th minute with Bruce's first goal of the match, finishing off a play that was assisted by Watson to make it 1-0. Bruce would add his second goal of the match a few minutes later, scoring at 26:07 on an assist from Gustavo Barbieri (Florianópolis, Brazil/Colégio Tendência) to make it 2-0.
 
And the rout was on.
 
Bruce would complete his hat trick in the opening minute of the second half, getting his third goal of the afternoon on an assist from Elliot Chapman (Lancaster, England/Ripley St. Thomas). Chapman would get into the act himself, scoring on a penalty kick in the 67^th minute, making no mistake on the open scoring opportunity to score his second goal of the year and make it a 4-0 match.

The Yellowjackets closed out the scoring at the 83:16 mark of the match on the second goal of the year from Leonardo Paredes (Uberlandia, Brazil/Colegio Sao Paschoall), to make the final score 5-0. Paredes drew an assist from Miguel Ocampo (St. Louis Park, Minn./St. Louis Park).
 
The Yellowjackets had a decisive advantage in shots, outshooting the Vikings 21-5. Shots on goal also favored the Yellowjackets, 14-1.
 
Dalton VonKaenel (Eagan, Minn./Eagan H.S.) got the start in goal for the Yellowjackets and earned the win, improving his record to 5-1-1 on the year. He played the first 57 minutes Wednesday, before yielding to Ulrik Lager (Vollen, Norway/Asker VGS) who finished the match. Lager made the only save of the match for the Yellowjackets.
 
Up Next: The Yellowjackets (7-2-1, 3-0-1 U.M.A.C.) won't have to wait long to see the Vikings again, as Bethany Lutheran will be in Superior Saturday. Game time from the N.B.C. Spartan Sports Complex is set for 5:30 p.m.