SUPERIOR, Wis. – If we know anything about the men's hockey division of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC), it's that the teams are extremely evenly matched. Most years, the conference champion and the playoff seedings aren't decided until the last day of the regular season.
 
And if this weekend's results are any indication, the 2024-25 campaign will be no different.

Following play Saturday, the top four teams in the WIAC are separated by a mere five points. Fortunately for the Yellowjackets and their faithful, their team sits atop the league with six regular season games to go.
 
Saturday marked the second game of the weekend series between the Yellowjackets and UW-River Falls at Wessman Arena. Friday, in the second meeting of the year between the teams, the Yellowjackets and Falcons skated to a 2-2 overtime tie, with River Falls securing the extra point in the shootout. The two lost points made Saturday's game, and its three points, crucial for the Yellowjackets if they wanted to stay near the top of the conference.
 
It wasn't easy, and the two teams played another nip and tuck game, but the No. 11/13-ranked Yellowjackets were able to outlast UW-River Falls 2-1 Saturday night.
 
The win runs the unbeaten streak to 11 games for the Yellowjackets (14-3-1, 7-1-1 WIAC), but more importantly puts them in sole possession of first place in the WIAC. The Yellowjackets, who have 20 points lead UW-Stevens Point by one point and lead next weekend's opponent, UW-Eau Claire, by two points.
 
Daniel Rozsival (Chicago, Ill./North Shore Country Day) scored his sixth goal of the season at 15:06 of the second period, and the Yellowjackets, through tight checking and superior play along the boards and in their own zone, were able to make the goal stand up as the game winner.
 
In goal, Jack Boschert (Florissant, Mo./Duchesne) made just his third start since December 12, turning aside 17 shots to improve to 6-1-0 on the year.
 
Game Notes

• The game was penalty filled in the opening period as tempers flared. The Yellowjackets and Falcons combined for 10 penalties in the opening period. From there things cooled and there were just three penalties the rest of the way.
• After a scoreless first the Yellowjackets broke through at 4:02 of the second period when Matt Francois (Denver, Colo./Grandview) got the puck between the circles and wired a shot past River Falls goaltender Brennan Boynton for his fifth of the year to make it 1-0.
• Collin Pederson (Owatonna, Minn./Owatonna) and Ikki Kogawa (Chiba, Japan/Collingwood Collegiate Institute) assisted on the goal by Francois.
• River Falls tied it at 12:45 of the second when Jonny Meiers found Ethan Lindahl in the slot and his shot beat Boschert.
• Later in the second the Yellowjackets won a battle in the offensive zone along the left win boards. Rozsival pulled the puck out of the pile, circled the net and put a wraparound between Boynton's pads to make it 2-1.
• Justin Dauphinais (Val Caron, Ontario/École Secondaire Catholique Horizon) and Frank Dovorany (Wausau, Wis./Wausau West) assisted on the game winner.
• The Yellowjackets outshot River Falls 30-18 in the game, including 11-5 in the third period when the defense clamped down on the Falcon attack.
• The unbeaten streak is now tied for the sixth-longest in program history, matching the mark set between Nov. 9 and Dec. 11, 2001.
• Boschert has allowed one goal or less in six of his eight appearances this season.
• Dauphinais was 16-of-26 in the faceoff circle.
• Dovorany and Reed Stark (Suffern, N.Y./Douglas County West) led the Yellowjackets with four shots on goal apiece.

After a five-game homestand, the Yellowjackets will take to the road next weekend when they take on UW-Eau Claire in a two-game series. The first game is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 31 at the Hobbs Ice Arena. The opening faceoff is set for 7 p.m.
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