SUPERIOR, Wis. – There are games where the score doesn't necessarily tell the whole story. That was sort of the case for the Yellowjacket men's soccer team Friday.
 
After the first 45 minutes, despite outshooting Crown 24-1, including an edge of 10-0 in shots on goal, the Yellowjackets only led 1-0. The slim lead a result of some tremendous play and amazing saves by Crown goalkeeper Foster Browning.
 
In the second half things evened out. The Yellowjacket offense exploded, scoring seven times to run away with an 8-0 win over Crown on a cloudy afternoon at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex.
 
The win was the second straight by an 8-0 score for the Yellowjackets, who improved to 4-5-0 overall and 4-1-0 in UMAC play.
 
The victory was a big story, but not the biggest of the day for the Yellowjackets. Blake Perry (Anoka, Minn./Anoka) made history just 3:38 into the second half when he scored his fifth goal of the season. The marker was the 44th of the senior's illustrious career, making him the program's all-time leader in goals scored. Perry broke the record previously held by Eric Watson, who scored 43 times from 2015 through the 2018 season. It's the third time the record has been broken since the 2017 season, and Perry has a chance to put some distance between himself and the rest of the field, with half a season remaining in 2021.
 
Perry didn't get a point on the play, but he was directly responsible for the only goal of the first half. In the 15th minute, Perry was fouled in the box, resulting in a penalty kick. Senior Scott Wilson (Ladybank, Scotland/Bell Baxter) stepped to the line and drilled home his first of the year to make it 1-0.
 
It stayed that way until after halftime, despite a dominating performance by the Yellowjackets.

The lead increased in the 47th minute when Archie Gjerdrum (St. Paul, Minn./Como Park) placed a shot into the lower left corner for his third goal of the season to make it 2-0. Perry's historic goal, a ball directed into the lower left corner came just 98 seconds later to push the lead to 3-0.
 
The lead went to 4-0 in the 60th minute when Gjerdrum scored his second of the match, sending a shot into the lower right corner this time. Less than seven minutes later the lead went to 5-0 on the fourth goal of the year from Blake Doyea (Ramsey, Minn./Anoka). Dylan Hanegraaf (Rose Creek, Minn./Austin) and Protus Babaya (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) assisted on the play that saw Doyea direct a shot into the lower right corner of the goal.
 
Less than a minute later the Yellowjackets tallied again, and for the second time in the match the goal came on a penalty kick. This time it was Gjerdrum, completing his hat trick with his fifth of the season.
 
Josh Bellamy (High Wycombe, England/FAB Football Academy) got into the act in the 76th minute, blasting a shot into the lower left corner for an unassisted goal to make it 7-0. It was the third goal of the year for Bellamy.
 
The Yellowjackets closed out the scoring in the with 8:15 to play in regulation when Phillip Eriksen (Skjetten, Norway/Lorenskog) scored to make the final 8-0. For Eriksen, who bypassed his trademark backflip celebration, it was his third goal of the year.
 
For the match, the Yellowjackets outshot Crown 43-1, including a margin of 20-0 in shots on goal.

Alex Paredes (Mequon, Wis./Homestead) got the start in goal and got the win, improving to 4-3-0 on the year. He played 75:45 before giving way to Payton Anderson (Red Wing, Minn./Red Wing) who played the final 14:15.
 
The Yellowjackets will be back in action Saturday when they host Minnesota Morris. The opening kick is set for 2 p.m. at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex.