SUPERIOR, Wis. – Coming off its season-opening win Wednesday at Northland, the Yellowjacket men's hockey team was looking to complete the sweep Friday, and pick up its fourth win in nine days over the Lumberjacks. The first two games were of the exhibition variety, but the latter two were for real, with important points on the line in the truncated WIAC season.
 
The Yellowjackets (2-0-0, 2-0-0 WIAC) took the drama out of this one early, scoring four times in the first period on the way to a 7-1 victory in the home opener at Wessman Arena.
 
With the win and other results in the conference Friday, the Yellowjackets enter the second week of the conference season in sole possession of first place in the WIAC.
 
In this one the Yellowjackets put distance between themselves and Northland, forcing the Lumberjacks to chase the game. But it was Northland that had the opportunity to get the early jump. Troy York (Plano, Texas/West) was called for a penalty just 41 seconds into the game, but the penalty kill came through and gave the team the spark it needed to get rolling.
 
Artur Terchiyev (Kiev, Ukraine/Everest Academy) opened the scoring at 4:27 of the first, when he came out of the left corner and worked his way into the slot, lifting a backhand over the glove of Northland goaltender Chris Curr to give the Yellowjackets the lead. Just 24 seconds later the Yellowjackets added another with Coltyn Bates (Brandon, Manitoba/Vincent Massey Collegiate) redirecting a pass at the top of the goal crease past Curr to make it 2-0 just 4:56 in.
 
After the second goal Northland called a timeout and made a goaltending change, but the Yellowjackets picked right back up where they left off.
 
At 8:45 it became a 3-0 game. Levi Cudmore (Park River, N.D./Park River) did yeoman's work along the end boards before centering to Ty Proffitt (Fairbanks, Alaska/Fairbanks BEST), and the sophomore buried his second goal of the year. Pavel Mikehasenok also assisted.
 
Northland got one back at 13:42 when Cameron Coutre broke in and scored shorthanded. It was a double whammy for the Yellowjackets, who also took a penalty on the play, nullifying their first power play of the night.
 
It didn't take long for the 'Jackets to get it back, however. Off the ensuing faceoff Lawson McDonald (Winkler, Manitoba/Northlands Parkway Collegiate) sprung Bates on breakaway, and he scored his second of the game just 14 seconds after Northland's goal, reinstating the three-goal lead.
 
The Yellowjackets added to the lead at 5:22 of the second when Mikhasenok scored on a slap shot from the left circle to make it 5-1. At 9:33 Charles Martin (Blainville, Quebec/École internationale Lucille-Teasdale) made a perfect pass from his own zone, springing Dylan Johnson (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet) behind the Northland defense, and he beat goaltender Viktor Wennberg on the breakaway.
 
Johnson added his second of the game with just 16 seconds to go in the second, pushing a loose puck in the goal crease home on the power play, making the score 7-1.
 
The third period was a penalty-filled frame, nine penalties called, including seven on the Yellowjackets. Among them was a five-minute major on York for contact to the head, but again the Yellowjacket penalty kill came through and shut the door. The Yellowjackets were 8-for-8 on the penalty kill, while going 1-for-3 on the power play.

The Yellowjackets outshot Northland 44-27 in the game.

Several players enjoyed big nights. Mikhasenok scored a goal and added four assists. Johnson had an assist in addition to his goal. Cudmore added two helpers and newcomer Matt Francois (Denver, Colo./Grandview) picked up his first collegiate point with an assist on Mikhasenok's goal.
 
Oscar Svensson (Södertälje, Sweden/Haga Gymnasium) got the start and improved to 2-0 on the year, finishing the night with 26 saves. Curr and Wennberg combined to make 37 saves for Northland.
 
The Yellowjackets are back on the road Wednesday, February 10 when they travel to UW-Eau Claire to take on the Blugolds. Game time from the Hobbs Ice Center is set for 7:00 p.m.