'Jackets Win 11-0

'JACKETS CRUSH LUMBERJACKS IN OPENER

Prior to Thursday's season opening game against Northland, Yellowjackets Head Coach Dan Stauber listed off several things that he wanted to see out of his team on opening night. He wanted to be perfect defensively. He wanted to see many different players get into the act offensively. He wanted the special teams to be effective and lastly, he wanted to make a statement. Check. Check. Check and check.

The 'Jackets came out in the first period and took control early, dominating every facet of their opening night contest against an overmatched Northland College team, skating away with an impressive 11-0 win at Wessman Arena.

Eight different players scored goals in the game. Three players - Braden Desmet (Jr. Strathmore, Alberta), Chris Berry (Jr. Calgary, Alberta) and Talon Berlando (So. Drumheller, Alberta) each had two goals apiece. Two players - Tyler Fletcher (Jr. Calgary, Alberta) and Josh Seifert (Jr. Superior, Wisconsin) each scored their first goals as Yellowjackets. And the trio of Desmet, Berry and Kevin Huck (Sr. Rochester, Minnesota) combined for 14 points in the rout.

The 'Jackets opened the scoring with the first of their three power play goals at 3:13 of the first period. Huck, while on the left board fed Desmet in the slot and he wristed a shot past Northland goaltender Daniel McIntosh to make it 1-0. The lead went to 2-0 when Berry tipped home a perfect goalmouth feed from Desmet at 7:00. The second goal, also coming on the power play, was also assisted by Jesse Junkermeier (So. Minnetonka, Minnesota).

The 'Jackets blew the game open in the second period, scoring five times. Art Clark (Jr. Bloomington, Minnesota) buried one into an empty net at 1:05, assisted by Huck and Desmet to make it 3-0. Assistant captain Brian Bina (Jr. Grand Forks, North Dakota) scored the prettiest goal of the night to make it 4-0 at 6:34. Picking up the puck in his own end, Bina was able to shed a checker and carry the puck up the right side, into the Northland zone. He reached the right circle and then wristed a shot high over the glove, beating McIntosh on the short side. Desmet drove the net hard and knocked the puck home before knocking the net off for his second goal of the game at 14:30 to make it 5-0. Less than two minutes later, Fletcher would score his first goal as a Yellowjacket to make it 6-0. Taking a feed in the slot from Ryan Kuntz (Sr. Regina, Saskatchewan), Fletcher let a wrist shot go from between the hash marks and beat McIntosh low on the stick side, scoring his first goal as a Yellowjacket at 16:14. The goal snapped a 32-game goal drought for Fletcher. Berry would pick up his second of the game at 18:22 to make it 7-0. Left alone in front, Berry would take a feed from Huck, make a nifty deke and beat McIntosh high on the stick side. Desmet also assisted.

In the third, the 'Jackets would add four more goals. The first coming on the power play at 5:28 when Berlando would find a loose puck in the crease and fire it into the open net to make it 8-0. Logan Isley (So. Bonnyville, Alberta) and newcomer Chris Wilson (Jr. Prince Albert, Saskatchewan) got the assists. Just 32 seconds later the score would go to 9-0 when Seifert would pick up his first career goal. From the neutral zone, Seifert was just looking to dump the puck into the zone when a Northland player put a glove on the puck, causing a change of direction that eluded McIntosh at 6:00. It was Seifert's first goal in his 42nd career game. The 'Jackets hit double digits when Berlando got his second of the night at 16:21, with Wilson picking up the lone assist. Captain Rob Turville (Sr. Olds, Alberta) capped the scoring, taking a brilliant cross-ice feed from Andrew MacKenzie (Sr. Terrace Bay, Ontario) and banging it into the open net at 19:26 to make the final score 11-0.

As good as the offense was on this night, the defense was just as stellar. The 'Jackets only allowed 14 shots on goal, and Chad Beiswenger (Sr. Moorhead, Minnesota) stopped them all for his tenth career shutout. Largely untested for most of the night, Beiswenger made his toughest stop in the first two minutes of the hockey game, and later had one clang off the post. The remainder of Northland's chances were not of the high-end variety. At the other end, McIntosh finished with 39 saves.

The 'Jackets scored three times on the power play, going three-of-four in the game. Northland went scoreless in six chances. The 'Jackets took nine penalties for 18 minutes while the Lumberjacks took seven for 14 minutes.

The dominating performance gives the 'Jackets a win right out of the gate, something they weren't able to get last season until their third game. They will try to start the season 2-0 when they host Finlandia University on Tuesday, October 28 at Wessman Arena. Game time on Tuesday is 7:05 p.m. Because of the Superior Senior High football playoff game, Tuesday's game will be available on KUWS 91.3 FM and via the Internet at www.kuws.fm on a tape delay basis. The broadcast will run in its entirety at the conclusion of the football game. John Munson will have the call.