SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Yellowjacket women's hockey team put on a display Friday night. Actually, saying just one display would be selling the team short.
 
The Yellowjackets were outstanding defensively, and even better offensively - an engine firing on all cylinders in every facet of the game as they dominated their way to an 8-0 victory over Lawrence in the 2021-22 season opener Friday at Wessman Arena.
 
On the offensive side of the game, the Yellowjackets (1-0-0, 0-0-0 WIAC) attempted 105 shots in the game, with 75 shots finding their way on goal, number that narrowly missed the school record of 81 shots on net. At the other end, the Yellowjackets stifled Lawrence all over the ice, holding the Vikings to just four shots on net.
 
McKenzie Whalen (East Grand Forks, Minn./East Grand Forks) got the start in goal and earned the win, stopping all four shots to earn her third career shutout. The night, however, belonged to another Yellowjacket in her senior season.
 
After missing much of the past two seasons with injuries, many wondered if Agnese Apsite (Dreilini, Latvia/Riga Distance Secondary) would be able to play again. Apsite returned for the 2021-22 season, and answered that question emphatically in the affirmative, pacing the Yellowjackets with a four-point night which included her first collegiate hat trick.
 
Apsite opened the scoring at 9:29 of the first period, firing a rocket over the glove hand of Lawrence goaltender Sydney Seeley to make it 1-0. Just over five minutes later the Yellowjackets increased the lead when freshman Ella Reynolds (South St. Paul, Minn./South St. Paul Secondary School) earned a souvenir puck, scoring her first collegiate goal off an assist from Emma Booth (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd), and the 'Jackets were up 2-0 after one.
 
In the second period the Yellowjackets blew the game open with a quick-strike offense.

Apsite scored her second at 7:38 of the period, again going top-shelf to make it 3-0. Then before the public address announcer could announce the goal the Yellowjackets increased the lead, this time with Megan Dulong (Grand Rapids, Minn./Grand Rapids Senior) breaking behind the defense and beating Seeley on the glove side to make it 4-0 just 21 seconds later.
 
Later in the period Dulong scored her second of the night, deflecting a shot by Jenna Byfuglien (Roseau, Minn./Roseau) home on the power play at 13:17 to put the Yellowjackets in front 5-0 and engage the first Culver's Five Goal Free for All of the season. Then, just 18 seconds later the Yellowjackets struck again. This time it was Apsite scoring from in tight, completing the hat trick and making it a 6-0 game after two periods.
 
Kailey Swerhun (Thunder Bay, Ontario/St. Ignatius) scored her first collegiate goal 4:09 into the third period to put the lead to 7-0, and Amanda Sergent (Eagle River, Wis./Northland Pines) closed out the scoring with 1:34 to play in the game, finding the back of the net on the wrap around to make the final 8-0.
 
Several Yellowjackets had multi-point nights. Swerhun, who showed blazing speed up front, had two assists in addition to her goal. Andrea Stelling (Sioux Falls, S.D./Eaton Rapids (Mich.)) and Cora Coz (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) each had two assists and Sergent had an assist to go along with her goal.
 
Each team took three penalties in the game for six minutes. The Yellowjackets went 1-for-2 on the power play and were a perfect 2-for-2 on the penalty kill.
 
The same two teams will meet again Saturday in the second game of their weekend series. The opening faceoff is set for 2 p.m. at Wessman Arena.