UW-Eau Claire 3, Yellowjackets 2 (OT)
EAU CLAIRE, Wis.: Coming into action Saturday night at Eau Claire, the Yellowjacket men's hockey team had the chance to erase the struggles that came during the middle portion of the 2018-19 season and advance to its first WIAC Commisioner's Cup final since 2014. Standing in the way of that title opportunity was UW-Eau Claire. The Blugolds entered play Saturday knowing they needed a win to not only advance to the title game, but keep their NCAA tournament hopes alive. So both teams had a lot to play for.
And for most of Saturday, it looked like the Yellowjackets were going to get their wish.
With Eau Claire pressing and time ticking down in the third period, the Blugolds got a fortunate bounce and scored on a power play with just 2:40 to play in regulation to tie the game 2-2. Then midway through overtime Jon Richards got a rebound to the right of the goal and pushed it past Yellowjacket goaltender
Oscar Svensson (Södertälje, Sweden/Haga Gymnasium) to give Eau Claire a 3-2 victory, squaring the WIAC semifinal series a one game apiece.
The late goals took the sind out of the Yellowjackets' sails, and they were unable to rebound in the mini-game, where they lost 2-0 and were eliminated from post-season contention.
In Saturday's regulation game the Yellowjackets took an early penalty, but as they've done of late they were able to kill it off. Using the kill as momentum, the Yellowjackets rushed the Eau Claire zone and took the early lead.
Will Blake (Champlin, Minn./Breck) rushed down the left wing into the Eau Claire zone and took a shot from a sharp angle that hit the goal post. The rebound founds its way into the slot where
Artur Terchiyev (Kiev, Ukraine/Everst Academy) corralled it and whistled a shot past Eau Claire goaltender Zach Dyment to make it 1-0.
Troy York (Plano, Texas/West) also assisted on the goal at 5:38 of the period.
It didn't stay that way for long, however. Just 90 seconds later Eau Claire tied it when Austin Redders caught the Yellowjackets changing and sent Richards on the rush into the Yellowjacket zone. Richards' slap shot from the right circle beat Svensson on the stick side to tie the game at 7:08.
Eau Claire continued to press, holding a severe territorial advantage and outshooting the Yellowjackets 21-3 in the period, but Svensson and the defense held firm and it was 1-1 after one period.
Early in the second period the Yellowjackets went on the power play, and used the advantage to regain the lead.
Bruno Birzitis (Riga, Latvia/Riga Distance Education Secondary) had a golden opportunity to score sail over the top of the goal, but moment later he got another chance and this time he made it count when York found him cutting through the slot and he slid it past Dyment to give the Yellowjackets a 2-1 lead at 5:50 of the second.
The Yellowjackets held onto the one-goal lead throughout a third period where Eau Claire continued to apply pressure. Then with under five minutes to play the Blugolds went on the power play and got the equalizer. Simon Sagissor had the puck to the right of the Yellowjacket net and banked it in off Svensson to even the score.
The teams headed for overtime with the Yellowjackets needing only a tie to advance, but a defensive zone faceoff after an icing call led to the Richards goal and forced the mini-game.
Svensson was a busy man in net again for the Yellowjackets, making 50 saves. The Yellowjackets were outshot 53-19 in the contest.
UW- Eau Claire 2, Yellowjackets 0 (Mini-Game)
Eau Claire got the eventual game-winning goal just over six minutes into the mini-game when Richards wired a shot on goal that Svensson stopped, but he got his own rebound and lifted a shot over Svensson to put Eau Claire ahead 1-0. The Yellowjackets had a pair of power play chances in the mini-game but couldn't get anything going and the lead held up. Tyler Tomberlin put the game away with an empty net goal at the 19:47 mark, to make the final score of the mini-game 2-0.
The Yellowjackets finish the 2018-19 season 10-14-3.
