SUPERIOR, Wis. – For the Yellowjacket men's hockey team, the start to the 2023-24 season not gone anywhere near the way it was supposed to. Entering play Saturday, the Yellowjackets were still searching for their first win of the year, and were in the midst of one of the longest scoring droughts in program history.
 
Something had to give, and Saturday night it finally did.

The Yellowjackets broke their scoring drought, and for just the second time this season were able to play with the lead. Add a solid, blue-collar night of work and sprinkle in a little bit of puck luck, and the Yellowjackets were finally able to taste victory.
 
As the teams closed in on the midpoint of the third period, the Yellowjackets broke a 2-2 tie and never looked back on the way to a 4-2 win over Saint Mary's at Wessman Arena.
 
Chris Ishmael (Oakville, Ontario/Abbey Park Secondary School) and Tristan Therrien (Prévost, Québec/Newbridge Academy) led the way offensively for the Yellowjackets (1-4-0, 0-0-0 WIAC), who got 28 saves from Jack Boschert (Florissant, Mo./Duchesne) in his first collegiate start on the way to victory.
 
In the early going Saturday the Yellowjackets again had a lot of jump, and played at a frantic pace early. After going on the power play early, it looked like the Yellowjackets took the lead, but the Therrien marker was waved off for a man-in-the-crease violation.
 
During the second power play, however, the Yellowjackets scored one that wouldn't come off the board.
 
Dusty Bergstrom (Pine City, Minn./Pine City) slid a pass from the high slot to the right circle where Terry Ryder (Byron Center, Mich./Byron Center) unloaded, one-timing a shot past Saint Mary's goaltender A.J. Ruskowski to make it 1-0. Ryder's first goal as a Yellowjacket came with 5:00 to go in the first period and put to bed the scoring drought that spanned 176:26.
 
As quick as they grabbed the lead, however, the 'Jackets gave it back.
 
With Ishmael in the penalty box, Saint Mary's needed just 11 seconds on the man advantage to tie the game. Bud Winter got the goal with less than four seconds left in the period, and the teams went to the locker room tied 1-1.
 
Early in the second period the 'Jackets took another penalty, and once again Saint Mary's scored in short order. This time it was Kellen Tharaldson scoring from the high slot, putting the Cardinals in front just six seconds after the power play commenced.
 
Halfway through the second, fueled by an amazing shift, the Yellowjackets pulled even. Bergstrom knocked down a clearing play to keep the Cardinals pinned in their zone. The puck got to Ishmael in the slot, and he fed Therrien in the left circle who put it past Ruskowski for his first of the year, making it 2-2 at 10:30.
 
In the third the Yellowjackets got the break they needed just over seven minutes in. Therrien pulled away on a breakaway, but his chance was stopped. Ruskowski, rather than cover the puck, poked it back in play, right to Ishmael who buried it into the empty net to give the 'Jackets the 3-2 lead.
 
Ishmael then closed out the victory, scoring into the empty net from about 190 feet away, making the final score 4-2.
 
For the game the Yellowjackets outshot Saint Mary's 34-30, with Boschert making numerous quality saves, including several from point-blank range. He is now 1-0-0 on the year.
 
Next up for the Yellowjackets is their first foray into conference play when they host UW-River Falls. The opening face-off is set for 7:05 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17 at Wessman Arena.