SUPERIOR, Wis. – In men's soccer, the rivalry between the Yellowjackets and St. Scholastica is about as good as it gets. When the teams meet, the one thing that usually isn't great is the weather. Over the years the Yellowjackets and Saints have met in heavy wind, heavy rain, and of course snow.
With St. Scholastica no longer a member of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference, the lone meeting in 2021 between the teams came Wednesday night at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex in Superior. And like meetings in the past, the weather was less than ideal.
Heavy winds off Lake Superior blew for most of the match, dropping temperatures and rain soaked the field, players and hardy fans in attendance. Mother Nature did little to slow down the Yellowjackets, however.
After falling behind early, the Yellowjackets came back with three unanswered goals to earn a 3-1 win at home, and in the process stretch their winning streak to five in a row. The victory also marked the first non-conference win of the year for the Yellowjackets (10-6-0, 9-1-0 UMAC).
St. Scholastica drew first blood in this one, as Nolan Friday scored in the 21st minute.
The Yellowjackets drew even just over 10 minutes later when
Karsten Kletti (Vadnais Heights, Minn./White Bear Lake Area) scored his first goal of the season in the 31st minute, making it 1-1.
Blake Perry (Anoka, Minn./Anoka) started by putting the ball in play from the right side and Kletti finished it, directing the ball into the upper right corner.
As play opened in the second half, the rain began to pick up, and so did the vitriol between the teams. The physicality increased, and in the early going the Saints carried the play and put pressure on the Yellowjackets defensively. The Yellowjackets weathered the storm and then began to apply pressure of their own.
With time winding down the Yellowjackets got the break they were looking for and took the lead for good.
Nicolai Stokker (Klokkarstua, Norway/St. Hallvard) moved the ball up the left side where
Phillip Eriksen (Skjetten, Norway/Lorenskog) got it, moved into position and placed a perfect shot into the lower right corner of the goal, giving the Yellowjackets a 2-1 lead. Eriksen's seventh goal of the year came in the 76th minute.
The Yellowjackets got some insurance a few minutes later when
William Maanstroem (Oestersund, Sweden/Jaemtlands Gymnasium) found Eriksen, and the sophomore again hit pay dirt, scoring his second goal of the match into the lower right corner to give the 'Jackets a 3-1 lead with just under seven minutes to play.
That would be everything the Yellowjackets needed, as they closed out the Saints for the sixth straight match, and improved their all-time mark against the Saints to 11-10-6.
As mentioned, it was a physical and at times hostile match. A total of eight yellow cards were issued – five going to the Yellowjackets and three to the Saints. The Yellowjackets committed seven fouls, compared to six for the Saints.
The Yellowjackets attempted 18 shots in the match, including 12 in the second half. The Saints had 10 shots attempted. Shots on goal favored the Yellowjackets 7-5.
Alex Paredes (Mequon, Wis./Homestead) started in goal for the Yellowjackets and made four saves to earn the victory. He improved to 10-4-0 on the year.
The Yellowjackets will jump back into conference play when they host North Central Friday, Oct. 22. The opening kick is set for 3:30 p.m. at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex.
