SUPERIOR, Wis. – When most people think of fall sports in the Twin Ports, on the bad end, they think of cool temperatures with a sometimes-stiff breeze coming off Lake Superior. On the good end, the temperatures are mild, and the wind is calm, making for a comfortable day at the stadium.

Sunday was neither of those as the Yellowjacket men's soccer team opened the 2023 campaign against UW-Eau Claire.

The mercury spiked into the 90s, forcing the start time of the match to be pushed back over two hours. Mandatory water breaks were also part of the plan Sunday in an effort to keep players and game officials safe.
 
Air temperatures were high, and the temps ran high on the pitch as well between two schools that are fostering a budding rivalry. After a scoreless opening half, each team converted in the second half as the Yellowjackets and Blugolds played to a 1-1 draw before a crowd of 383 at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex.
 
Each team played stingy defensively in the opening half. The Yellowjackets (0-0-1, 0-0-0 UMAC) had three of their four shot attempts go on goal, while Eau Claire saw two of their five make their way to Yellowjacket goalkeeper Alex Paredes (Mequon, Wis./Homestead).
 
Early in the second half, however, the Yellowjackets received the biggest break of the match. In the 57th minute, Eau Claire goalkeeper Spencer Banks was issued a red card, meaning not only would the Blugolds lose their starting goalkeeper, but they would also be forced to play the remainder of the match a man down.

Despite being a player down, however, it was Eau Claire that broke the ice to take the 1-0 lead. Just over two minutes after the red card Carter Theisfeld directed a shot into the lower left corner of the goal to make it 1-0 in the 60th minute.
 
The Yellowjackets were undeterred and came back to tie the match later in the half. Running off a set piece, Freddy Watson (Wendover, England/Berkshire College of Agriculture) got the ball to Karsten Kletti (Vadnais Heights, Minn./White Bear Lake Area) who headed it into the goal for his first tally of the season, tying the match 1-1 in the 76th minute.
 
From there, each team had quality chances, with the Yellowjackets nearly taking the lead on shots by Jake Kidd (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior), Felipe Oliveira (Belo Horizonte, Brazil/Colegio Soma) and Watson, but every time Eau Claire was up to the task, keeping the match tied.
 
Paredes finished the match with six saves in his first start of the 2023 season. At the other end, Banks and Mark Belknap combined to make seven stops.
 
Next up for the Yellowjackets is a road match against Saint John's Tuesday, Sept. 5. The opening kickoff is set for 5 p.m. at Haws Field in Collegeville, Minn.