MENOMONIE, Wis. – Hockey games are three periods, and Saturday night, the Yellowjacket men's hockey team played three very different periods. It was almost like the 'Jackets played three games within the game.
 
On the line Saturday was a series win, and a trip to the WIAC semifinals at UW-Stevens Point next weekend. After Friday's 1-0 win, the Yellowjackets needed a win or a tie to advance, while UW-Stout needed to win the regulation game and a mini-game to take the series.
 
The Yellowjackets started fast with a dominant first period, and Stout countered with a big second period, before the Yellowjackets salted things away in the third, earning a 7-4 win at the Fanetti Community Center Saturday.

With the win, the Yellowjackets (15-10-2) extend their winning streak to three games heading into next weekend's showdown with Stevens Point.
 
Friday night the Yellowjackets put just 12 shots on net in the first two periods, but it was a different story Saturday. The 'Jackets outshot Stout 14-3 in the first period, and four times to take a big lead early.
 
Matt Francois (Denver, Colo./Grandview) started the scoring, getting the puck at the right side of the net and sliding a shot underneath Stout goaltender Zack Cloutier to make it 1-0 4:57 into the game. The unassisted goal was Francois' second of the year.

The lead increased just 22 seconds later when Sam Sterne (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) scored his third of the year, taking a shot from between the circles that beat Cloutier. Reed Stark (Suffern, N.Y./Douglas County West) and C.J. Walker (Boise, Idaho/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame) assisted.
 
At 11:23 of the first the Yellowjackets added another, this time on the power play. Coltyn Bates (Brandon, Manitoba/Vincent Massey Collegiate) and Chad Lopez (Arlington, Texas/University of Texas) worked the puck down low and then fed Zach Bannister (Grande Prairie, Alberta/St. Joseph Catholic), and the sophomore scored his ninth goal of the year from the left circle to make it 3-0.
 
The Yellowjackets closed out the scoring in the first with their first shorthanded goal of the season. David Kaplan (Vernon Hills, Ill./Bishop Eustace Prep) worked the puck through the neutral zone and into Stout territory before getting it to Austin Friesen (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Glenlawn Collegiate School). Friesen snapped a shot low from the left circle, beating Cloutier for his second of the year at 18:41, and the Yellowjackets led 4-1 after one.
 
Stout answered in a big way in the second.
 
Cole Beckstead got the scoring started at 4:13 to make it 4-1. Logan Nelson cut the Yellowjacket lead in half, making it 4-2 with a power play goal at 10:03.
 
The Yellowjackets got one back 55 seconds later. Conor MacLean (Wilcox, Saskatchewan/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame) broke into the Stout zone and took a hard shot from the left circle that was stopped by relief goaltender Tyler Masternak. The rebound popped out to an uncovered Jordan Martin (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Vincent Massey Collegiate) and he blasted it home for his fifth of the year to push the Yellowjackets ahead 5-2.
 
Stout came right back, however, as Nelson netted his second of the game at 11:35 to make it 5-3. Then with 16.1 seconds to play in the second Raphael Gosselin went end-to-end and beat Myles Hektor (Lake Bluff, Ill./Lake Forest) over the right shoulder, making it a 5-4 game with the power play goal.
 
The Yellowjackets seemed to once again find their legs in the third and got the breathing room they needed at 8:58. Charles Martin (Blainville, Quebec/École internationale Lucille-Teasdale) took the shot from the point and MacLean tipped it past Masternak to put the Yellowjackets back up by two.
 
Later in the third period the Yellowjackets put the game away on the power play. Stout was in the process of pulling its goaltender when Gavin Rasmussen (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet Senior) got the puck, and from his own side of center ice rifled a shot into the wide open net, making the final score 7-2.
 
Hektor got the start in goal for the Yellowjackets and finished the night with 18 saves. His record on the year improves to 10-6-1. At the other end Cloutier allowed four goals on 14 shots in one period before giving way to Masternak. He got tagged with the loss after allowing three goals on 17 shots.
 
The Yellowjackets outshot Stout 31-22 in the game.
 
Up next for the Yellowjackets is a WIAC semifinal series at UW-Stevens Point. The series will open Friday, Feb. 25 at K.B. Willett Arena. The puck drops at 7 p.m.