SUPERIOR, Wis. – Simply stated, anything less than a win for the Yellowjacket men's hockey team Tuesday would have been a bitter disappointment.
 
In what turned out to be their best, most complete effort of the 2023-24 season, the Yellowjackets weren't in position to earn a win when the end of regulation time came in their contest against Concordia University Wisconsin.
 
No matter.
 
For the first time this season, the Yellowjackets went to overtime, and they didn't need the full five minutes, or a shootout to decide the winner.

Blake Holmes (Apple Valley, Minn./St. Thomas Academy) fished the puck out of the pile behind his own net, skated it end-to-end, and ended Tuesday's game with a wrist shot to the stick side, giving the Yellowjackets a 3-2 win over Concordia at Wessman Arena.
 
The goal by Holmes, his third of the season, came on the only shot on goal of the overtime for the Yellowjackets (3-5-0, 1-1-0 WIAC), and gave the team back-to-back wins for the first time on the campaign.
 
Despite the fact the Yellowjackets set a season high for shots on goal in the game with 41, nothing came easy in the rare Tuesday contest.

Concordia opened the scoring on a first-period power play. Riley Klugerman took a shot from the point that it appeared was stopped by Yellowjacket goaltender Jan Skorpik (Brandýs nad Labem, Czechia/OA Prague), but the puck got loose and Nick Wieben put it home at 11:15 of the period to put the Falcons in front.
 
It looked like the Yellowjackets were going to head to the locker room down a goal after the first, but the line that drove the offense for much of the night, drew the team even in the final minute.
 
C.J. Walker (Boise, Idaho/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame) got the puck in the right corner and made a perfect pass across the goal mouth to a wide -open Justin Dauphinais (Val Caron, Ontario/École Secondaire Catholique Horizon), and the once-snakebitten freshman tapped it home for his second goal in as many games, making it 1-1 with under 45 seconds to play in the period. Liam Whitehouse (Mount Kisco, N.Y./Horace Greeley) also got an assist on the play.
 
In the second period the Yellowjackets came out and owned a big territorial advantage and were relentless on their forecheck, but they couldn't get the chance they needed to move ahead. Then, the 'Jackets, who owned the faceoff dot in the second, lost a defensive zone draw and gave Concordia too many chances at the net. Dain Sardelli got a loose puck near the left post and beat Skorpik to put the Falcons back in front.

Late in the period the Yellowjackets drew a penalty, and then another, to go on a 5-on-3 power play. With time winding down in the second period, Gavin Rasmussen (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet Senior) wound up and put a rocket toward the net that was redirected in front by Daniel Rozsival (Chicago, Ill./North Shore Country Day) and into the lower left corner. The goal with 14.1 seconds to go in the period pulled the Yellowjackets even once again at 2-2. Walker picked up his second assist of the night on the goal.
 
The Yellowjackets came out and dominated the third period, outshooting Concordia 13-1 in the frame, but again, they had a hard time getting one past Concordia goaltender Game Rosek. Their best chance came with 6:52 to go in regulation. Rasmussen used his speed to get a shorthanded breakaway and was hooked, resulting in a penalty shot. On the shot, Rasmussen came in on the left wing, cut to the middle and tried to put the puck between the goaltender's pads, but the chance was turned aside, and the score remained 2-2.
 
Rasmussen's attempt marked the first Yellowjacket penalty shot dating back to January 27, 2018 when Daniel Litchke had an attempt against UW-Eau Claire.
 
The Yellowjackets continued to press in the third, but were unable to break the tie, setting the stage for overtime and Holmes' heroics. The unassisted goal came at 2:00 of overtime.
 
Skorpik made his second start of the season in goal for the Yellowjackets and was sharp, making 20 saves for his first win of the year. At the other end, Rosek was outstanding for Concordia, making 38 saves in the losing effort.

The Yellowjackets return to action right after the Thanksgiving holiday, heading to Ashland for the first of two games against Northland. The opening faceoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday at the Bay Area Civic Center.