SUPERIOR, Wis. – In 2023-24, which was the sophomore year for Yellowjacket Collin Pederson (Owatonna, Minn./Owatonna), he scored one goal. A regular in the lineup who played on the power play and penalty in addition to his regular shift, Pederson was the poster child for how badly the Yellowjacket men's hockey team was snakebitten a year ago.

Turns out, Pederson played through the campaign dealing with nagging injuries, injuries that would force him to miss the start of the 2024-25 campaign. Since his return during the Superior Showdown in November, however, Pederson has been a man on a mission.
 
In some ways, Pederson has been the straw that stirs the drink for the Yellowjackets, and that was on full display Friday, as the Yellowjackets opened their Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) semifinal series against UW-River Falls.
 
Pederson, who wears an "A" on his sweater as an assistant captain, took the leadership mantle and ran with it Friday, scoring the first goal of the night for the 'Jackets before burying two more in the third period to lead the No. 9/10-ranked Yellowjackets over the Falcons 4-1 at Wessman Arena.
 
The three-goal effort was the first of his collegiate career for Pederson, who helped the Yellowjackets (19-4-3) move to within a game of playing for the WIAC championship next weekend.
 
Trailing 1-0 in the second period, Pederson tied the game on he power play, then gave the Yellowjackets breathing room with a goal in the first minute of the third period. He finished the hat trick shortly after – his third goal taking the wind out of River Falls' sails.
 
Jan Skorpik (Brandýs nad Labem, Czechia/OA Prague) got the start in goal and was locked in, turning aside 27 shots to earn the win and improve to 5-1-1 on the year. The goal he allowed, which came at 4:58 of the second, snapped a shutout of streak of 245:04, dating back to Dec. 14.
 
Game Notes

• After a scoreless first period River Falls opened the scoring at 4:58 of the second when Ian Carpenter beat Skorpik between the pads to make it 1-0.
• The Yellowjackets have allowed the first goal in each of their last three games.
• The Yellowjackets answered when Pederson scored on the power play. Pederson worked the puck to the left circle and quickly turned and fired, sending a shot over the shoulder of River Falls goaltender Brennan Boynton high on the short side.
• Late in the period the Yellowjackets moved in front for good when Reed Stark (Suffern, N.Y./Douglas County West) came across the goal mouth and lifted a backhand over the glove of Boynton.
• It was Stark's team-leading 14th goal of the year.
• Pederson increased the lead just 50 seconds into the third. Chris Ishmael (Oakville, Ontario/Abbey Park Secondary School) had the puck poked off his stick in the right circle and it caromed right to Pederson, who quickly shot and put it between Boynton's pads.
• The hat trick was completed at 7:43 when Pederson got a rebound in the goal crease off a shot by Matt Francois (Denver, Colo./Grandview) and buried it for his third of the game.
• Pederson now has eight goals on the season.
• Stark's game-winning goal was his sixth of the season, which is tops in the WIAC.
• The Yellowjackets outshot River Falls 38-28.
• All-time in post-season play, the Yellowjackets are now 9-8-3 against River Falls.

The Yellowjackets and Falcons will play the second game of their semifinal series Saturday at Wessman Arena. The opening faceoff is set for 7:05 p.m.
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