SUPERIOR, Wis. – Since a win over UW-Eau Claire December 2, the Yellowjacket men's hockey team has played eight games heading into Saturday's game against UW-River Falls. Of the eight, four of those games had gone to overtime.
 
Four times the Yellowjackets played an extra session, and four times the Yellowjackets failed to put one in the win column.
 
After Friday's tight-checking affair between the Yellowjackets and the Falcons, a game the 'Jackets won 1-0, one could surmise that Saturday's game would again be of the low-scoring variety, with more overtime a real possibility.
 
The Yellowjackets broke on a power play early in the first period, and River Falls tied it on a power play late in the second. After a scoreless third period, the Yellowjackets went to overtime for the fifth time this season, and finally found the win column.
 
Junior forward C.J. Walker (Boise, Idaho/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame) needed just 15 seconds of overtime to end things Saturday, and the Yellowjackets defeated River Falls 2-1 at Wessman Arena.
 
The win keeps the Yellowjackets (12-7-2, 7-3-1 WIAC) in the thick of things in the conference with two weeks to play in the regular season. UW-Stevens Point, who lost to UW-Stout Saturday, leads the conference with 25 points. UW-Stout sits fourth with 19 points. In between are UW-Eau Claire and the Yellowjackets, who each have 22 points. The table is set for the WIAC season to once again go down to the wire.
 
With the score tied 1-1, the Yellowjackets won the opening faceoff of the overtime and Charles Martin (Blainville, Quebec/École internationale Lucille-Teasdale) immediately went on the offensive, carrying the puck into the River Falls zone. The puck ended up in the left wing corner, and Walker eventually picked up the puck made a power move into the slot and slipped a low shot past River Falls goaltender Dysen Skinner, giving the Yellowjackets the win. It was the ninth goal of the year for Walker, tying him with MacGregor Sinclair (Irma, Alberta/Irma School) and Colton Friesen (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Dakota Collegiate) for the team lead.
 
Sinclair got his ninth of the year to start the scoring Saturday. Martin took a shot from the left point that hit traffic in front, and the carom came to Sinclair in the slot who drove the shot into the net to make it 1-0 at 6:19 of the first period. Friesen also picked up an assist on the play, snapping a six-game pointless streak.
 
It stayed that way into the second period. River Falls took two penalties on the same play, giving the Yellowjackets a two-man advantage for a full two minutes. They only mustered one shot on goal, however, as the River Falls penalty kill came through to keep it a one-goal game.
 
Moments later River Falls went on the power play, and they made the Yellowjackets pay. At 18:27 of the second Dylan Smith scored for River Falls, driving a one-timer from the left circle past Dylan Meilun (Morden, Manitoba/Morden Collegiate Institute), tying the game 1-1.
 
In the third period neither team was able to generate much on offense. The Yellowjackets' best chance came late when Ty Proffitt (Fairbanks, Alaska/Fairbanks BEST) drove into the River Falls zone and let a backhand go from the left circle, but he was denied. Then in the final minute Noah Roofe had a point-blank shot from the slot, but Meilun denied him with arguably the best save of the game.
 
Meilun, who shut out River Falls in November and didn't allow a goal on 10 shots last night, finished the game with 28 saves, improving his mark to 10-1-2 on the year.
 
On special teams Saturday, the Yellowjackets went 1-for-6 on the power play and 3-for-4 on the penalty kill.
 
The Yellowjackets will now return to the road Wednesday to take on UW-Stout. The opening faceoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Fanetti Community Center in Menomonie.