SUPERIOR, Wis. – During the pre-game interview Friday, Yellowjacket head coach Rich McKenna made a comment that at times, he wished hockey had rules like football where he could decline a penalty and not put his team on the power play.

Through the first half of the season, the Yellowjacket power play was much maligned, and justifiably so. Entering Friday, the Yellowjackets were firing at just 9.6 percent with the man advantage, and was nearly being outscored by the penalty kill, which had scored four shorthanded goals in the first 14 games.
 
Following Friday's game, the Yellowjackets hope the power play got healthy, and put the early-season woes behind them.
 
The Yellowjackets scored four times in seven power play chances and rolled to a 7-1 win over Concordia College Friday at Wessman Arena.
 
With the win in the first of five straight games at home, the Yellowjackets (11-3-1, 5-1-0 WIAC) extended their winning streak to seven games, the program's longest win streak since winning seven in a row Jan. 31 through Feb. 28 during the 2008-09 season.
 
The Yellowjackets employed a balanced attack offensively Friday, getting goals from seven different players. Reed Stark (Suffern, N.Y./Douglas County West) and Trey Sauder (Swan River, Manitoba/Swan Valley Regional Secondary) led the way, posting a goal and an assist apiece. Defenseman Blake Holmes (Apple Valley, Minn./St. Thomas Academy) had a three-assist game, while Ikki Kogawa (Chiba, Japan/Collingwood Collegiate Institute) had two.
 
Kobe Grant (Vernon, British Columbia/South Kamloops Secondary) was once again strong in goal, making 30 saves. The only goal he surrendered Friday came in the final minute when the Cobbers were on the power play.
 
Game Notes

• The Yellowjackets are now 7-0-0 on Fridays.
• Sauder scored his first collegiate goal at 9:37 of the first period, forcing a turnover in the neutral zone then skating in uncontested, where his shot from the left circle beat Concordia goaltender Dane Couture.
• In the final minute of the first Kogawa made a brilliant behind-the-back pass o Stark, who scored into a wide-open net to make it 2-0.
• Stark's goal was the eventual game-winning goal and was his team-leading ninth of the year.
• At 3:46 of the second Kogawa made another brilliant pass, setting up Collin Pederson (Owatonna, Minn./Owatonna) in the slot, whose one-timer was the first power play goal of the night for UWS.
• Blake Setter (Calgary, Alberta/Central Memorial) then scored on a power play in the final minute of the second, banging a puck home from the slot to extend the lead to 4-0.
• After Sauder collided with the Concordia goaltender, play continued and Gavin Rasmussen (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet) scored into an open net a 2:09 of the third.
• Later in the third Concordia's Jack Westlund was assessed a major for fighting and a game misconduct, and the Yellowjackets scored twice on the power play.
• Dusty Bergstrom (Pine City, Minn./Pine City) scored his third of the year, blasting a shot from the right point past Couture at 5:22 of the third.
• Then at 6:45, Daniel Rozsival (Chicago, Ill./North Shore Country Day) took a feed at the top of the goal crease and waited out the Concordia goaltender before sliding a puck home for his fourth goal of the year.
• Joe Harguindeguy broke the shutout, scoring for Concordia with 52 seconds left to make the final score 7-1.
• The Yellowjackets nearly doubled their power play output – they scored four Friday after posting five in their first 14 games.
• UWS outshot Concordia 33-31.
• Kogawa leads the Yellowjackets with 11 assists.

The Yellowjackets are back home Saturday when they play host to Saint John's at Wessman Arena. The opening faceoff is set for 7:05 p.m.
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