STEVENS POINT, Wis. – Over the years, UW-Superior and UW-Stevens Point have played some epic, almost legendary games in the post-season. It doesn't matter if it is an NCHA game, WIAC game or NCAA game, whether it is played in Superior or Stevens Point, a playoff game between the Yellowjackets and Pointers is about as good as it gets.
 
Friday night the Yellowjackets and Pointers met for the 31st time in a playoff game, squaring off at K.B. Willett Arena in Stevens Point in the first game of the 2022 WIAC Semifinal series. And like many of the first 30, this one lived up to prior billing.
 
Stevens Point scored the first two goals of the game, but the Yellowjackets kept battling from behind. Unfortunately, the comeback bid fell just short and the Pointers took the series opener 4-3.
 
With time ticking off the clock in the final minute and the Yellowjackets (15-11-2) down a goal, Reed Stark (Suffern, N.Y./Douglas County West) had what looked to be the tying goal on his stick in the right circle, but Stevens Point goaltender Ryan Wagner made a spectacular save, denying Stark his second of the game and sealing the win.
 
Stevens Point opened the scoring late in the first period. With the teams skating 4-on-4, Conor Witherspoon was left uncovered in front of the Yellowjacket net and he slid a shot past Myles Hektor (Lake Bluff, Ill./Lake Forest) to make it 1-0.
 
It stayed that way until later in the second period when each team had an odd-man rush. The Yellowjackets broke into the Stevens Point zone on a 3-on-1, but Stevens Point defenseman Brady Smith broke up the play and started the transition the other direction. A 2-on-1 developed and Fletcher Anderson found Witherspoon in the right circle, who scored his second of the game, making it 2-0 at 15:36.
 
The Yellowjackets cut the deficit in half with a goal in the final two minutes. Troy MacTavish (Kanata, Ontario/Earl of March) had the puck in the right circle and got it to the slot, where C.J. Walker (Boise, Idaho/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame) lifted a shot over the left shoulder of Wagner for his fourth goal of the year, making it 2-1. Zach Bannister (Grande Prairie, Alberta/St. Joseph Catholic) also assisted.
 
Early in the third period the Pointers got the two-goal lead back when David Hill beat Hektor on a wrist shot between the circles at 2:49.
 
The Yellowjackets answered, however, making it a 3-2 game with 9:12 to go. MacGregor Sinclair (Irma, Alberta/Irma School) drove into the Stevens Point zone on the right wing and sent a hard pass across the goal mouth where Walker redirected it for his second of the night and fifth of the year.
 
Once again, however, the Pointers had an answer. Noah Finstrom beat Hektor with a shot at 13:32 of the third, pushing the lead back up to two at 4-2.
 
Down two goals with just over five minutes to play, the Yellowjackets headed to the power play, and they would essentially finish the game that way. Andrew Poulias was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for contact to the head, meaning even if the 'Jackets scored they would stay on the power play.
 
With 4:39 to go in the third, Stark scored his 10th of the year, waiting out the Stevens Point penalty killers and wristing a shot from the high slot past Wagner to once again pull the Yellowjackets to within a goal at 4-3.
 
After the Stark goal, there were still nearly four minutes of power play time remaining. Two minutes of that were erased when the Yellowjackets took a penalty, but when they went back on the man advantage, the 'Jackets mounted a furious rally and nearly tied the game, but the Pointers got the saves they needed to preserve the win.
 
Hektor finished the game with 36 saves. The Yellowjackets were outshot 40-24.
 
The Yellowjackets are now in a must-win situation to keep their season alive. They have to win Saturday's game and then get a win in the mini-game as well to advance to next week's WIAC Championship. The second game of the semifinal series will begin with a 7 p.m. face-off at K.B. Willett Arena.