SUPERIOR, Wis. – Thursday marked the opening day of the Fifth Annual Superior Showdown, sponsored by Subway, for the Yellowjacket men's hockey team. And there's something about this event that doesn't agree with the host team.

Entering Thursday, the Yellowjackets had never been able to call themselves champions of their own tournament. And unfortunately, after Thursday's action, the 'Jackets will have to wait until the 2023 event to see if they can keep the trophy for themselves.
 
Gustavus scored three unanswered goals on the way to a 3-1 win over the Yellwjackets Thursday at Wessman Arena.

The Gusties will take on Marian in Friday's championship game, while the Yellowjackets (9-5-0, 5-2-0 WIAC) will play St. Scholastica in the third-place game. In the tournament opener, Marian defeated St. Scholastica 2-1 to reach the title game for the fifth tournament in a row.
 
Things started well for the Yellowjackets Thursday, as they showed little rust following the holiday break. They opened the scoring on a first period power play, as Tristan Therrien (Prévost, Québec/Newbridge Academy) and Colton Friesen (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Dakota Collegiate) executed a perfect give-and-go and Friesen buried a shot from the right circle to make it 1-0 at 8:25 of the first period. It was Friesen's team-leading ninth goal of the year.
 
The 'Jackets had a golden opportunity to extend the lead a few minutes later when they were given a five-minute power play, but the Gusties killed off the major to keep the game at 1-0.
 
Gustavus tied the game in the second when Dylan Gast recovered a turnover and from the right circle snapped a perfect shot over the right shoulder of Yellowjacket goaltender Myles Hektor (Lake Bluff, Ill./Lake Forest) at 13:33 of the second. The Gusties got the eventual game-winning goal at 18:40, winning an offensive-zone faceoff and getting the puck in tight to Jac Triemert, who lifted a backhand over a sprawled Hektor to make it 2-1.
 
The Yellowjackets pressed in the third period but weren't able to get the equalizer. The best opportunity came with about seven minutes left in the third when Friesen got in tight and fired for the top corner, but Gustavus goaltender Jackson Hjelle snared the offering with the glove.
 
Gustavus put the game out of reach late when Nate Stone converted an odd-man rush with 2:05 to play, making the final score 3-1.
 
The Yellowjackets outshot the Gusties 26-16 in the game. Hektor made 13 saves in the game, and had his record fall to 2-4-0 on the year.
 
The Yellowjackets will take on St. Scholastica in the third-place game of the 2022 Superior Showdown, sponsored by Subway, Friday at 3 p.m.