MENOMONIE, Wis. – On paper, Saturday's matchup for the Yellowjacket men's hockey team shouldn't have been a good one.
 
Entering play, the Yellowjackets had managed to score just 10 goals in six games. On the flip side, Saturday's opponent, UW-Stout, had seemingly been scoring goals at will, netting 30 in six games. In their first six games, the Blue Devils scored at least three times in every game, and registered six goals in each of their last three games. Stout also entered the game scoring at a 40.9 percent clip on the power play, while the Yellowjacket penalty kill was lagging slightly behind where it had been the past few years.
 
Fortunately for UWS, games aren't played on paper.
 
The Yellowjackets jumped on UW-Stout early and rode strong goaltending and a solid penalty kill to a 4-1 win over UW-Stout at the Fanetti Community Center Saturday.
 
With the win, the Yellowjackets (2-5-0, 1-1-0 WIAC) got their first conference win of the year and moved into a three-way tie for third place in the early season WIAC standings.
 
It was a good win for the Yellowjackets, but it was anything but an easy win.
 
Once again the Yellowjackets had a strong start in this one, and they weathered an early penalty kill before taking the lead.
 
At 11:58 of the first period Dusty Bergstrom (Pine City, Minn./Pine City) got the puck at the left point and finessed a shot through traffic and past Stout goaltender Tyler Masternak to make it 1-0. Tyler Ryder (Byron Center, Mich./Northstar Christian Academy) and Jordan Guiney (Victoria, British Columbia/Belmont Secondary School) assisted.

Less than two minutes later the 'Jackets increased the lead. Moving the puck around on the power play, Gavin Rasmussen (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet Senior) fed C.J. Walker (Boise, Idaho/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame) in the left circle, and the senior snapped a shot that got through Masternak for his first of the year and a 2-0 Yellowjacket advantage. Guiney picked up his second helper of the game on the play.
 
In the second period things got heated, and penalties became a focal point. The Yellowjackets took five penalties in the period, giving the potent Stout power play multiple chances. The 'Jackets killed off the first two, and then used the momentum to increase their lead.
 
Blake Holmes (Apple Valley, Minn./St. Thomas Academy) made a perfect lead pass to Rasmussen who got past the defense, faked a forehand before pulling it to the backhand and sliding it past Mastarnak, making it 3-0. For Rasmussen, it was his second goal of the year and seventh goal in nine career games against Stout. Terry Ryder (Byron Center, Mich./Byron Center) also assisted on the goal at 10:46 of the period.
 
The penalties finally caught up to the Yellowjackets late in the period, as Stout used a power play to get on the board. Kobe Keller got a rebound in the slot and put it home at 15:38 to cut the Yellowjacket lead to 3-1.
 
Early in the third, however, the three-goal lead was restored. Justin Dauphinais (Val Caron, Ontario/École Secondaire Catholique Horizon) got the loose puck behind the Stout net and slid the shot under Masternak at the right of the goal for his first of the year, giving the Yellowjackets a 4-1 lead. Guiney and Walker assisted on the goal just 49 seconds into the third.
 
Stout had three more chances on the power play in the third, including a lengthy 5-on-3, but the penalty kill was solid and turned the Blue Devils aside. There was a little bit of luck in there as well, as Stout hit three posts in the game.
 
Stout pulled its goaltender in the final five minutes and continued to apply pressure in the offensive zone, but the Yellowjackets didn't break and got their second win of the year.
 
Jack Boschert (Florissant, Mo./Duchesne) got his second start of the season for the Yellowjackets and improved to 2-0-0 on the year. He finished the game with 33 saves. Masternak made 24 saves at the other end, as Stout outshot the Yellowjackets 34-28 in the game.
 
The Yellowjackets took 12 penalties for 24 minutes in the game, while Stout took nine for 18 minutes. The Yellowjackets went 1-for-4 on the power play and killed off six of the seven Stout power plays.
 
It's a quick turnaround for the Yellowjackets, as they'll be back home Tuesday, Nov. 21 to take on Concordia Wisconsin. The opening faceoff is set for 7:05 p.m. at Wessman Arena.