SUPERIOR, Wis.: In a game that featured 24 penalties and almost a full 60 minutes of penalty time, the only outcome possible was an overtime finish.
Unfortunately, for the Yellowjackets tonight, that outcome ended in a 3-2 overtime loss at the hands of the fifth-ranked Eau Claire Blugolds.

Eau Claire's Jake Bresser took a pass from Jon Richards at the blue line, sped behind the defense along the right boards, and flung a wrist shot past the outreached stick of Oscar Svensson (Södertälje, Sweden/Haga Gymnasium) to end the game 2:36 into the overtime period. Just one of the Blugolds' three scores would come at even strength, with the winner being the exception.

Bodies were flying at pucks and players all night long from before the opening drop, as players on both sides were getting physical at the drop the puck. The first of the slew of penalty whistles came at 1:26 in the first, when Eau Claire's Jarrad Vroman was called for an interference minor.

The whistles did not cool down for the rest of the period, as Eau Claire would be awarded a five-on-three power play after penalties against Connor Hamonic (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Vincent Massey Collegiate) and Lawson McDonald (Rosetown, Manitoba/Northlands Parkway Collegiate) at 16:09 and 16:27, respectively. Adam Parsells capitalized on the opportunity, scoring off assists from Nick Techel and Andrew McGlynn to put the Blugolds ahead 1-0.

Superior ended the period on a power play after a high stick penalty on Eau Claire's Simon Sagissor. At the start of the second period, 15 seconds after the Yellowjackets' man advantage ended, Dylan Johnson (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet) took the puck from the left side of the crease and slid it to the back of the net past Zach Dyment for the equalizing goal and the first of his collegiate career.

Minutes after the goal from Johnson, Zach Kennedy of the Blugolds would hit Troy MacTavish (Kanata, Ontario/Earl of March) and up high and was called for a five-minute major boarding penalty at 4:00 in the period.

Two minutes to the second after Kennedy was released from the box, Superior's Bruno Birzitis (Riga, Latvia/Riga Distance Education Secondary) was called for a five-minute major boarding penalty of his own to give Eau Claire the man advantage.

The Blugolds were able to capitalize on the power play again, with Charles Weiand finding the back of the net off an assist from Sagissor at 11:44 to regain the lead, 2-1.

Superior's Ty Proffitt (Fairbanks, Alaska/Fairbanks BEST) had a chance to tie the game with a wrist shot that made it past Dyment, but hit the right goal post that left a ringing in the fans ears.

The 'Jackets were finally able to get the equalizer midway through the third period when Chad Lopez (Arlington, Texas/University of Texas) stole the puck in the neutral zone and went in along on Dyment. After settling the puck down, Lopez faked backhand and went to the forehand, pushing it into the goal to make it 2-2.

The period would end with the same score, and the game would end on Bresser's score to propel the Blugolds to a 3-2 win and move to 5-0-1 on the year and drop the Yellowjackets to 2-1-0.

Dyment ended the game with the win and 30 saves, while Svensson lost his first game on the young season. Svensson ended the contest with 32 saves.