SUPERIOR, Wis. – Friday night, the Yellowjacket men's hockey team needed a couple minutes of overtime to earn a win on the road at UW-River Falls, with senior forward Reed Stark (Suffern, N.Y./Douglas County West) netting the game winning goal with 2:10 left to play in the extra session. It was a thrilling finish to what amounted to the team's most complete effort of the 2024-25 season.
 
Friday's result begged the question, what would the Yellowjackets do for an encore? Rest assured, whatever they would do, it was not going to be easy. The early returns for the 2024-25 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) season shows a conference that is going to be tight, from top to bottom, throughout the year.
 
Saturday saw the Yellowjackets coming back home to take on UW-Stout. The Blue Devils also went to overtime Friday, skating to a 2-2 tie against UW-Stevens Point, but falling in the shootout, so the Pointers earned the extra points in the standings.
 
For the second time in as many nights, the Yellowjackets and the Blue Devils couldn't decide anything through 60 minutes and needed overtime. And for the second time in as many nights, it was Stark playing the hero.
 
Following a Stout turnover, Dusty Bergstrom (Pine City, Minn./Pine City) got the puck in the slot and fed to Stark in the right circle, who rifled the shot into the yawning net at 1:46 of overtime, giving the Yellowjackets the 4-3 win at Wessman Arena.
 
The second overtime winner in as many nights for Stark, who also had two assists, finished off a four-point weekend.
 
With the win the Yellowjackets (6-3-1, 3-1-0 WIAC) keep pace with the top teams in the conference, sitting in third place with seven points, one point back of both UW-Eau Claire and UW-Stevens Point.
 
The victory also gave the Yellowjackets back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
 
Jan Skorpik (Brandýs nad Labem, Czechia/OA Prague), in his first start of the season, turned aside 25 shots to even his record at 1-1-0 on the year.
 
Game Notes

• Stout scored first at 5:23 of the first when Sam Kroon scored from long range to make it 1-0.
• It was the sixth time in 10 games where the opposition scored first.
• In the final minute of the first the Yellowjackets tied the game, as Blake Setter (Calgary, Alberta/Central Memorial) got the puck in the high slot and put a shot on net that fooled Stout goaltender Tyler Masternak for his first collegiate goal.
• The Yellowjackets took the lead in the opening minute of the second period when Tyler Ryder (Byron Center, Mich./Northstar Christian Academy) scored his second goal of the year, shooting from the slot and putting it off the post and in, making it a 2-1 game.
• Stout tied it with a power play goal by Nicholas Stevens at 4:26 of the second, then took the lead on Max Techel's goal at 9:48 of the second.
• The scored stayed 3-2 until the 'Jackets tied it with 4:31 to play in the third. Stark earned the assist, taking a shot that Masternak turned away, but Justin Dauphinais (Val Caron, Ontario/École Secondaire Catholique Horizon) got the rebound and beat Masternak low to make the score 3-3.
• Stout outshot the Yellowjackets 28-22 in the defensive battle.
• The Yellowjackets have been outshot seven times in the season's first 10 games.
• This season the Yellowjackets have led or been tied in the third period in every game.
• Four times this season the Yellowjackets have come from behind to earn a win.
• The Yellowjackets are now 74-32-6 all-time against UW-Stout.

The Yellowjackets will be back home Thursday, Dec. 12 when they host Northland in WIAC play. The opening faceoff is set for 7:05 p.m. at Wessman.
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