Yellowjackets 2, Eau Claire 1

SUPERIOR, Wis.: With its win Thursday at UW-River Falls, the Yellowjacket men's hockey team didn't have much to play for coming into its regular-season finale Friday against UW-Eau Claire. Already locked into the third position in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference post-season derby, the Yellowjackets could have coasted through the final game against UW-Eau Claire. They could have had a bit of an emotional letdown after Thursday's triumph, and nobody would have blamed them.

Or did they have a a lot to play for?

Heading into play Friday the Yellowjackets knew they had a 99.9 percent chance they would be seeing Friday's opponent when their playoff action began in two weeks. It didn't matter that Eau Claire won the previous meeting between the two teams. It didn't matter that the Yellowjackets hadn't put one in the left hand column against Eau Claire since 2010. Friday was a chance for them to show they were up to the task against the No. 3 team in the nation.

After playing more than 40 scoreless minutes the Yellowjackets got a pair of goals 1:17 apart in the third period and withstood a furious final two minutes to pick up a 2-1 win Friday night at Wessman Arena. The victory was the first for a Yellowjacket team against UW-Eau Claire since November 20, 2010, a span of 19 games. And coupled with Stevens Point's win over UW-Stout, the playoff pairings are set and the Yellowjackets and Blugolds will face each other in the WIAC semifinals at the Hobbs Ice Center in Eau Claire February 22-23.

But back to Friday. If it was indeed the final home game of 2018-19, what a way to send the home season off.

The opening period was back-and-forth, with each team having opportunities thwarted by the opposition. The second period offered more of the same, and after two periods the teams remained in a 0-0 stalemate.

Eau Claire had a great chance to break through midway through the second period, but Jake Bresser was stymied on the breakaway by Yellowjacket goaltender Oscar Svensson (Södertälje, Sweden/Haga Gymnasium). Seconds after Svensson's big save Yellowjacket Jason Cohan (Vancouver, British Columbia/Handsworth Secondary) found himself on the breakaway, but Eau Claire goaltender Zach Dyment returned the favor.

Early in the third period the Yellowjackets finally broke through. Given a five-minute power play, the unit that has struggled much of the year came through when it mattered most. Bruno Birzitis (Riga, Latvia/Riga Distance Education Secondary) started the play with a brilliant pass and Chad Lopez (Arlington, Texas/University of Texas at Arlington) finished it, lifting a backhand over Dyment to give the Yellowjackets a 1-0 lead at 6:08 of the period.

It didn't stay that way for long, but in a good way. Just 77 seconds later the Yellowjackets extended the lead when Daniel Litchke (Superior, Wis./Superior) took a shot from the slot that was stopped, but Troy York (Plano, Texas/West) grabbed the rebound to the left of the goal and buried it for his team-leading 13th goal of the year to put the 'Jackets up 2-0.

With time winding down in the third the Yellowjackets went shorthanded, and Eau Claire made them pay. Jon Richards scored on a rebound with 1:29 to go in regulation to cut the Yellowjacket lead in half.

The remaining 89 seconds were played at a frantic pace, with Eau Claire throwing everything at the Yellowjacket goal and either Svensson or the defense sacrificing the body to preserve the win. The Yellowjackets cleared the zone with under five seconds to play, giving them their third win in conference play for 2018-19. They finish the league season at 3-3-2 and head into the final day of the regular season just one point out of second place.

Svensson was brilliant in goal once again, making 35 saves. In two victories on the weekend, Svensson stopped 71 of 73 shots faced.

The Yellowjackets scored one power play goal in seven chances Friday, and killed off four of five chances for UW-Eau Claire.