SUPERIOR, Wis. – For the Yellowjacket men's hockey team, consistency has been difficult to find early in 2021-22. For just about every win, there's been a loss. For just about every good game, there's been an off night.
 
Beginning Friday, the Yellowjackets have four games remaining before the semester break, with all of them in conference play. In other words, the time is right to find said consistency and get on a roll.
 
The first test of those final four games came Friday night with UW-River Falls coming to town. The last time the Falcons and Yellowjackets met at Wessman Arena, River Falls handed the Yellowjackets their most lopsided defeat of the truncated 2020-21 campaign. This time, however, things were a little bit different.
 
After two scoreless periods, the Yellowjackets tallied twice in just under six minutes in the third period and then held on during a furious Falcon rally, earning a 2-1 victory Friday night.

The victory coupled with other results around the WIAC, puts the Yellowjackets (5-3-0, 3-1-0 WIAC) all alone atop the conference standings heading into play Saturday.
 
With two strong defensive teams on the ice, it's no surprise shots on goal, and scoring chances were hard to come by. Through 40 minutes, the Yellowjackets had outshot the Falcons 16-11, but quality chances could be counted on one hand and the game remained scoreless.

That changed in the third period when the Yellowjackets got the break they needed to get on the board.

Just inside the River Falls blue line, Dylan Johnson (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet Senior) pushed the puck to the slot and defenseman Bradley Stonnell (Surrey, British Columbia/Tamanawis Secondary School) picked it up, moved to his backhand and flipped a shot past Falcon goaltender Dysen Skinner to give the Yellowjackets a 1-0 lead. The goal came at 7:56 of the period.
 
A few minutes later the Yellowjackets increased the lead. John Stampohar (Grand Rapids, Minn./Grand Rapids Senior) got a loose puck in his own zone and moved it ahead to Zach Bannister (Grande Prairie, Alberta/St. Joseph Catholic). The sophomore worked himself into a good shooting position, and from the left circle picked the lower right corner for his third goal of the year. With 7:22 to play the Yellowjacket lead was 2-0.
 
River Falls had an answer shortly after, with Brock Draeger scoring on a wrist shot from the left point at 13:46 to cut the Yellowjacket lead in half.

From there River Falls carried the play, hemming the Yellowjackets in their own zone and nearly getting the equalizer. In the final minute the Falcons went on the power play, and with the goaltender out, they had a two-man advantage, but the Yellowjackets cleared and picked up the tight victory.
 
Myles Hektor (Lake Bluff, Ill./Lake Forest) made the start in goal and improved to 3-1-0 on the year. He finished the night with 15 stops.
 
The Yellowjackets are back on the road tomorrow, traveling to Menomonie, Wis. to take on UW-Stout. The opening faceoff from the Fannetti Community Center is set for 7 p.m.