Yellowjackets Pick Up First Win Of Season
 
Friday night at Wessman Arena can probably be nicknamed "Milestone Night."  Plenty of players, and the team as a whole, reached milestones on Friday night, as the Yellowjackets hit the win column for the first time this season, thanks to a 7-2 win over Concordia College in front of a crowd of 678.

Several players hit individual milestones, including five players who scored their first collegiate goals.  The team snapped a four-game losing streak dating back to last season.  That was the longest losing streak the program has seen since they lost six straight from January 22 through February 6 in the 1992-93 season.  That stretch was also the last time the team lost four straight games on Wessman Arena ice.  Both of those streaks are now by the boards.

One player who got to keep the puck following his first goal was Tom Erlacher (Fr. Brunico, Italy).  Erlacher took a centering pass from Josh Kesler (Fr. Naperville, Illinois) and beat Concordia goaltender Ole Brondbo to make it 1-0 just 1:32 into the game.  Braden Desmet (Sr. Strathmore, Alberta) also assisted.  The 'Jackets made it 2-0 just over a minute later when Justin Faryna (Fr. Calgary, Alberta) scored his first college goal.  Faryna carried the puck into the zone and let a shot go from the left circle that beat Brondbo over the glove at 2:33.  It went to 3-0 at 11:57 of the first when Erlacher, on assists from Desmet and Kesler, scored his second of the game.

Desmet made it 4-0 just 43 seconds into the second period.  His second goal of the season came on the rush, as he took a feed on the left wing, carried into the Concordia zone and let a wrist shot go that beat Brondbo up high.  Five minutes later it became a 5-0 game.  Tom Budziakowski (So. Toronto, Ontario) carried the puck into the zone on the left and fed a pass across the slot to Matt Wiest (Jr. Enchant, Alberta).  Wiest's shot was stopped, but the rebound laid in the crease and Budziakowski buried it in the empty net for his first college goal at 5:43 of the period.  At this point, the Cobbers elected to make a goaltending change, and for the time being stole the momentum.  Moments later they broke the shutout on a power play when Nick Thielen tipped a shot out front that beat Yellowjacket goaltender Jim Patterson (Jr. Kamloops, British Columbia) to make it 5-1, and that's the way the second period would end.

The Cobbers would add another goal early in the third period.  Mark Johnson took the puck from behind his own net and carried the length of the ice.  He drove the net hard from the right side and his initial shot was stopped by Patterson.  Patterson, however, moved off the post and the puck remained and Johnson tapped it home to make it 5-2 just 1:12 into the third period.  The Yellowjackets would regain the four-goal margin at 9:10 of the third period.  Kyle Clement (Fr. Flower Mound, Texas) took a feed from Jesse Junkermeier (Jr. Minnetonka, Minnesota) in the slot and let a shot go that beat relief goaltender Jacob Vatnsdal on the glove side to make it 6-2.  It was Clement's first college goal.  The Yellowjackets closed out the scoring at 11:07 of the third, getting their first power play goal of the season.  On assists from Desmet and Erlacher, Derek Stauber (Fr. Duluth, Minnesota) took a feed in the high slot and let a one-timer go that glanced off Vatnsdal's glove and into the net to make it 7-2.  This, too, was Stauber's first career goal.

In total, five players (Desmet, Erlacher, Kesler, Stauber and Faryna) had multiple-point games.  Desmet paced the offense with four points, giving him 86 for his career.

Patterson was solid in his first Yellowjacket start.  He did fight the puck at times, but also came up with some big saves.  He turned aside 27 shots in the game.  Brondbo made 14 saves in the game before giving way to Vatnsdal, who finished with 24 saves.

The Yellowjackets got off the schnide on the power play, connecting for the first time on the season.  They finished 1-2 in the game with the man advantage.  Concordia went 1-5 on the power play.  The 'Jackets took six penalties for 12 minutes, while Concordia took three penalties for six minutes.

It was the Yellowjackets' first win against Concordia since the 2004-05 season.

The 'Jackets (1-2-0) are at home again on Saturday afternoon, when they will host St. John's.  The Johnnies (2-0-1) knocked off St. Scholastica on Friday night, 3-1 at Mars-Lakeview Arena.  Game time on Saturday is 4:05 p.m. and can be heard live locally on KUWS 91.3 FM, beginning with the pre-game show at 3:45 p.m.  If you are outside the local listening area, you can tune in on the Internet at www.kuws.fm.  Jon Garver will have the call.