MENOMONIE, Wis. – For most of the 2022-23 season, the Yellowjacket men's hockey team has been among the top defensive teams in the nation.
 
Heading into play Wednesday, the Yellowjackets had posted six shutouts, and 10 times had allowed one goal or less. And for a team that has, at times, struggled to find offense, playing solid team defense is paramount if a lengthy post-season run is desired.
 
Wednesday night the Yellowjackets were taking on UW-Stout, the team that leads the WIAC in wins (15) and a team that entered play scoring nearly four goals per-game. And for the Yellowjackets, once again, the defense did the job.
 
The Yellowjackets scored one goal in the second period and twice in the third, while the defense kept Stout off the board in a crucial 3-0 victory Wednesday at the Fanetti Community Center.
 
With the win, the Yellowjackets (13-7-2, 8-3-1 WIAC) moved into a tie for first place in the conference with UW-Stevens Point, but the Pointers have a game at-hand on the Yellowjackets. With 25 points, the Yellowjackets are three points ahead of third place UW-Eau Claire and six points clear of UW-Stout.
 
Wednesday's win was the seventh shutout of the year for the Yellowjackets, establishing a new single-season record for team shutouts.
 
Dylan Meilun (Morden, Manitoba/Morden Collegiate Institute) got the start in goal for the Yellowjackets and turned aside all 23 shots he faced, improving his record to 11-1-2. It was his fifth shutout of the year, tying him for the third-most shutouts all-time in program history.
 
The Yellowjackets had the best chance of the scoreless first period when C.J. Walker (Boise, Idaho/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame) rang a shot off the post. Walker went pointless in the game, and had his seven-game point streak snapped.
 
Early in the second period, on their first power play of the game, the Yellowjackets caught iron again. This time, it was Tristan Therrien (Prévost, Québec/Newbridge Academy) hitting the post after snapping the shot from the right circle.
 
Late in the second, on their second power play of the night, the Yellowjackets finally hit pay dirt. With 2:19 left in the period, Charles Martin (Blainville, Quebec/École internationale Lucille-Teasdale) moved the puck from the left wing to MacGregor Sinclair (Irma, Alberta/Irma School) in the high slot, and the captain made no mistake, firing a wrist shot high over the shoulder of a screened Stout goaltender, making 1-0. The goal was Sinclair's team-leading 10th of the year.
 
The Yellowjackets got some breathing room in the third. Conor MacLean (Wilcox, Saskatchewan/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame), who was denied on a couple of point-blank chances, got the puck to the left circle and junior defenseman Troy Quinn (Nepean, Ontario/St. Paul's Catholic), and sent a shot over the shoulder of Stout goaltender Tyler Masternack at 6:28. It was the second goal of Quinn's career.
 
Later in the period, a Yellowjacket turnover resulted in a 4-on-1 for Stout, but Meilun made an incredible save, preserving the 2-0 lead.
 
In the final minutes, Stout pulled Masternack for an extra attacker, and Gavin Rasmussen (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet Senior), who hadn't scored a goal in his last 11 games, scored into the empty net, making it a 3-0 final.
 
On special teams, the Yellowjackets were 1-for-3 on the power play, and a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.
 
The Yellowjackets and Blue Devils will play the second game of their weekend series Friday, Feb. 3. The opening face-off is set for 7 p.m. at the Fanetti Community Center.