MENOMONIE, Wis.: To say Thursday night's game was big for the Yellowjacket men's hockey team is an understatement. Coming off arguably the toughest outing of the season last Saturday at River Falls, Thursday offered the Yellowjackets the chance to get back in the win column, put themselves in control of their playoff destiny, and get a little revenge against UW-Stout, who defeated them in early December.

The Yellowjackets scored a goal in each period and withstood a surge in the final seconds to pick up a huge 3-2 win over UW-Stout at the Fanetti Community Center Thursday night.

With the win, the Yellowjackets (14-7-3, 7-7-0 WIAC) moved into sole possession of third place in the WIAC and secured a home playoff series next weekend at Wessman Arena. It also made the WIAC playoff picture a little clearer. Eau Claire and Stevens Point will be the top two seeds in the post-season, and as a result will earn byes in the first round. The Blugolds hold a two-point lead over Stevens Point, but the Pointers hold the tiebreaker in the season series. Stout will be the five seed and Northland will be six seed. The Yellowjackets and River Falls will be the three and four seeds. The Yellowjackets can secure the No. 3 seed with a win in the regular season finale at home or a River Falls loss in either of their two games against Eau Claire this weekend.

Stout came out with great jump in the first period, getting six of the first seven shots on goal to start the game. It was the Yellowjackets that drew first blood, however, when Troy York (Plano, Texas/West), who missed last Saturday's game with an illness, wired a shot from the right circle over the shoulder of Stout goaltender Brady Meyers to give the 'Jackets a 1-0 lead. The goal, York's team-best 12th of the year, came at 9:33 of the first period. Liam Blais (Uxbridge, Ontario/Uxbridge Secondary) and Coltyn Bates (Brandon, Manitoba/Vincent Massey Collegiate) assisted.

It stayed that way until 12:01 of the second period when Adam Kresl evened the game for Stout.

The Yellowjackets brushed that one off and regained the lead just 1:13 later. Once again it was York, who got a centering pass from Chad Lopez (Arlington, Texas/University of Texas) and pushed his second goal of the game into a wide open net at 13:14 of the second.

As the third period unfolded the Blue Devils ratcheted up their urgency, and less than five minutes into the period once again drew even. This time it was Kobe Keller scoring, banking a shot off a post and in to make it 2-2.

With time ticking away in the third the Yellowjackets took the lead for good. Bruno Birzitis (Riga, Latvia/Riga Distance Education Secondary) had his shot from the right of the net denied, but the puck came into the high slot and Jonny Pace (Hamilton, Ontario/Cardinal Newman Catholic Secondary School) took it from there, scoring his third of the year with just 5:03 to go in the third period. Blais picked up his second assist of the game on the goal that gave the Yellowjackets a 3-2 lead.

Stout pressed hard in the closing seconds of the third period, but the Yellowjackets fought off every attempt and picked up the win and two big points in the standings.

Nick Althaus (St. Cloud, Minn./Apollo) made his second start of the season and earned his first collegiate win. He made 31 saves in the game, improving to 1-2-0 on the year. Meyers made 24 saves at the other end for Stout.

The two teams will close out the regular season Saturday night at Wessman Arena. The Yellowjackets will honor the four members of the senior class - Birzitis, Blais, Andrew Durham (Richardson, Texas/Plano East), and Colton Nelson (Grand Rapids, Mich./Edmond North), prior to the game's opening faceoff.