NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Coming off its first loss of the 21-22 season Friday night, the Yellowjacket men's hockey team was looking for a bounce-back performance Saturday night, and the process looking to avoid consecutive losses early in the season.
 
The opponent, St. Olaf, came into Saturday's contest having just picked up its first win of the season, an upset of UW-Eau Claire, the No. 7 team in the nation and the pre-season favorite in the WIAC.
 
In a performance more reminiscent of last Saturday's victory than Friday's defeat, the Yellowjackets came out strong and withstood a St. Olaf rally to pick up a 6-3 win over the Oles at the St. Olaf Ice Arena Saturday.
 
It was a great start for the Yellowjackets (2-1-0, 0-0-0 WIAC), who for the second Saturday in a row struck early and often in the first period.
 
The Oles got into penalty trouble early, and the Yellowjackets made them pay on the power play. On a two-man advantage, Jordan Martin (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Vincent Massey Collegiate) slid a perfect pass across the goal mouth to Chad Lopez (Arlington, Texas/University of Texas) on the back door, and he buried it at the right post to put the Yellowjackets in front at 6:34.
 
A few minutes later the 'Jackets increased the lead when Lopez perfectly led Dylan Johnson (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet Senior), and the junior got a step on the defense and scored high on the glove side to make it 2-0.
 
Then the 'Jackets got some serious breathing room in the final minute of the period. C.J. Walker (Boise, Idaho/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame) got the puck in the slot and scored on the glove side with 57.9 seconds to play in the first to make it a 3-0 game. Just 23 seconds later the lead went to 4-0 when Gavin Rasmussen (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet Senior) slid a shot under the St. Olaf goaltender.

For both Walker and Rasmussen, the goals were their first as Yellowjackets.
 
St. Olaf got on the board at 6:42 of the second to make it 4-1, but a couple minutes later the Yellowjackets answered.
 
Coltyn Bates (Brandon, Manitoba/Vincent Massey Collegiate) broke into the St. Olaf zone on the left and sent a backhand saucer pass to Johnson, who scored his second goal of the night at 8:56 to push the lead back to four goals at 5-1.
 
St. Olaf made it a game in the third, scoring 11:08 and on a power play at 15:36 to pull to within 5-3.

The Yellowjackets were able to ice the game late, with Lopez scoring his second of the game and fourth of the year to make the final 6-3.
 
Lopez has been on a hot streak to start the season, scoring in each of the first three games. Dating back to last season Lopez has goals in six straight games and had found the net eight times in that stretch. He also had an assist for a three-point night.
 
Johnson (2 goals, 1 assist) and Bates (3 assists) also had three point nights to pace the offense. In total, 10 different Yellowjackets found the scoresheet.
 
Landon Pavlisin (San Clemente, Calif./Pacific Coast), a transfer from Norwich, made his first start as a Yellowjacket and picked up the win, finishing the game with 35 saves, as the Yellowjackets were outshot 38-28. Pavlisin made numerous big stops in the game, especially in the first period where the game was still very much in doubt.
 
The Yellowjackets will now be off for 10 days, and when they return to action they will again be on the road. They will head to Ashland Tuesday, Nov. 16 when they enter WIAC play against Northland. The opening faceoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Bay Area Civic Center.