SUPERIOR, Wis. – The semester break came at a good time for the Yellowjacket women's hockey team. After a big 3-2 win over St. Scholastica Nov. 21, the Yellowjackets went on a skid, and closed the first half with five consecutive losses.
 
The break concluded Friday, as the 'Jackets returned to the ice hosting Marian in the first game of a two-game series, looking to get 2024 off to a strong start and in the process snap their victory drought.
 
It was a tight game for much of the night Friday, but Marian took advantage of its chances and rode a big third period to a 4-0 win over the Yellowjackets at Wessman Arena.
 
The Yellowjackets (4-9-1, 1-1-1 WIAC) will now try to snap their losing streak Saturday at home.
 
Both teams looked rusty in the early going Friday, with many stoppages in the first 10 minutes. The Yellowjackets and Sabres found their footing as the period went on, and the goaltenders were forced to take center stage. Both Rose Beeman (Minneapolis, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's School) of the Yellowjackts and Abby Okon were perfect in the opening 20 minutes, making 16 and 11 saves, respectively.
 
It was more of the same early in the second period, and the first time the UW-Superior PA announcer was forced to work came when Marian took a penalty near the period's midpoint. The Sabres were down a player, but that didn't stop them from pulling in front. Following a turnover at the Marian line, Alyssa Heim skated in on the breakaway and lifted a backhand past Beeman to make it 1-0 at 10:23.
 
The score stayed 1-0 until just past the halfway point of the third period, when Marian extended the lead, and again it was Heim doing the damage. Heim came out of the left corner, split a pair of defenders and took a wrist shot that beat Beeman to the stick side to make it 2-0 at 11:34. A few minutes later, and the 16-minute mark, Logan Crawford finished off a two-on-one to stretch the lead to 3-0. Marian then closed out the scoring with just under a minute to play, as Jadyn Gorski scored into the empty net to make the final 4-0.
 
Beeman had a good game in goal for the Yellowjackets, turning aside 27 shots, but she took the loss and saw her record fall to 4-7-1 for the year.
 
Jenna Hoops (Woodbury, Minn./Visitation School) led the Yellowjackets with seven shots on goal, while Brynn MacLean (Wilcox, Saskatchewan/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame) and Ashton Parnell (Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti) each added five. The Yellowjackets outshot Marian 35-31 in the game.
 
The Yellowjackets will host Marian in the second game of their non-conference weekend series Saturday. The opening faceoff is set for 2 p.m. at Wessman Arena.